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ERIC Number: EJ1189084
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1364-5579
EISSN: N/A
Approaching the Bench: Accessing Elites on the Judiciary for Qualitative Interviews
Nir, Esther
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, v21 n1 p77-89 2018
Qualitative research with political elites provides unique opportunities to access intimate details regarding the perceptions and opinions of key decision-makers; yet limited scholarly attention has been directed at the difficulties involved in recruiting these groups for interviews. In this article, I outline a series of targeted strategies aimed at successfully recruiting members of the political elite for qualitative research, using examples from a successful recruitment process in a study of U.S. state court judges. Recruitment strategies tailored to elite populations are described, including utilizing multiple modes of contact, crafting a compelling presentation of the study, highlighting participation benefits, preemptively alleviating concerns, and elegantly navigating gatekeepers. These techniques extend common recruitment approaches used with non-elite populations to political elites and provide guidance in managing the unique power dynamics associated with accessing members of the elite to improve interview participation rates.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A