The qualitative interview and challenges for clinicians undertaking research: a personal reflection

Drawing on my doctoral experience the aim of this article is to present my transition from practitioner to novice researcher and the challenges I encountered when undertaking qualitative in-depth interviews. The contents of my research diary were coded for words, sentences and paragraphs and were then grouped into themes and subsequently organised into concepts and categories. The analysis identified one core category: 'changing states: learning to become a researcher'. The related categories included 'guessing responses', 'confusing boundaries' and 'revealing hidden concepts'. These concepts provide a description of how I learnt to become a researcher and became a changed state. The paper provides practitioners with practical examples of my transition from practitioner to novice researcher. I offer some tips for practitioners who wish to undertake research in their clinical role.