Qualitative Interview Studies: Constructing an Interview Study Based on a Paradigm Example in “Ought Implies Can”

If you want to know what people think about philosophical ideas, why not just ask them? Interview studies use open-ended questions, some more or less targeted, to learn what people think about philosophical ideas. Such an approach seems perfect for experimental philosophy (x-phi), yet few researchers employ in-depth interviewing. This chapter explores why interviews are so useful to x-phi and then explains precisely how to carry out an interview study on a range of philosophical topics. Though applicable to a variety of inquiries and motivations, the chapter is centered around a paradigm interview study on “ought implies can” in order to give readers concrete examples of everything from interview questions to transcribing techniques. By the end, readers should be able to develop a research question, make their study materials, carry out their interviews, and analyze their data in a full interview study in x-phi. The tips and suggestions in this chapter are intended to make the endless possibilities of using interviews more manageable—and readers are encouraged to reference the different sections as they move step by step through the valuable and challenging journey of qualitative research.