Open Access"Oh yes, I remember it well!" Reflections on Using the Life-Grid in Qualitative Interviews with Couples
Author(s) -
Andrew J. Bell
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
qualitative sociology review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.315
H-Index - 14
ISSN - 1733-8077
DOI - 10.18778/1733-8077.1.1.04
Subject(s) - interview , reflexivity , qualitative research , grid , sociology , recall , qualitative property , everyday life , event (particle physics) , social psychology , computer science , epistemology , psychology , social science , cognitive psychology , philosophy , physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , machine learning , anthropology
The life-grid has previously been used as a tool for improving the reliability of retrospective data in epidemiology. Recent research has suggested that the life-grid may also prove a useful tool for qualitative sociological interviewing, by facilitating the asking of difficult questions and acting as an aide memoire. This paper describes a pilot study which examines the influences the life-grid has upon qualitative interviews with married couples. It finds that use of the life-grid limits interviewees’ willingness to revisit topics, tends to create “event-centred”, non-reflexive, data and does not facilitate the asking of difficult questions. This paper does find that the life-grid acts to stimulate recall, but in a limited, factual fashion. It concludes that the life-grid is unlikely to prove an appropriate tool for qualitative researchers in its present form.