Talking to the State: Interviewing the Elites about What’s Not to Be Said

Abstract

How can researchers conduct interviews about sensitive topics the interlocutors are unwilling to discuss? This article contributes to the ongoing debates on interviewing. While we are observing a growing interest in this research method among international relations scholars, we lack formalized advanced practices for overcoming interview-related challenges. Drawing on elite interviews conducted in Israel and the UK, the article introduces two research techniques particularly useful in discussing controversial or sensitive matters: in-situ texts and adaptable self-presentation practices. It first presents the types of challenges I faced seeking answers as to why secure and powerful states like the UK and Israel employ narratives of vulnerability in wartime public communication. Then it analyses how the use of in-situ texts during interviews assists in introducing sensitive topics into the interview. I illustrate how they allow me to quickly establish the importance of the research phenomenon as well as to facilitate more open conversations. Finally, I show the benefits of the adaptable self-presentation technique. The goal of this practice is to conduct a responsive interview. One in which the researcher builds trust with the participant by bringing out its own biographical aspects that emphasize either its outsider or insider status.