Reflexive Accounts of Conducting Qualitative Interviews in the MENA Region

This paper provides a reflexive account of our experiences conducting qualitative research in the contexts of two Arab countries, from our perspectives as researchers trained in a Western academic context. We explore the challenges and insights gained when recruiting and interviewing participants for qualitative Ph.D. projects within what is a predominantly quantitative research culture. Drawing on Walsh’s reflexive framework, we detail the issues that emerged during the recruitment and interview processes, identifying their potentially significant implications for Ph.D. candidates and early-career researchers who were trained in the West and are choosing to conduct research in contexts where the qualitative research tradition is unfamiliar. The issues identified include: a lack of compatibility with the specific ethical guidelines established by “Western” institutions, a lack of familiarity with “newly” embraced research approaches in “Western” contexts (namely qualitative interviews), and the power imbalance between researcher and participants. We further highlight the critical role of self-reflection and reflexivity as powerful tools for fostering meaningful change and transformation within research cultures. Our paper represents a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation regarding the importance of decolonising research methods and practices, while providing key implications for stakeholders at Higher Education research institutions.