Conducting Interview Projects in the US Congress: Analyzing the Methods of Experts in the Field

The field of political science is seeing renewed interest in studying the US Congress via one-on-one interviews. Yet, the qualitative research methods literature on this topic has lagged behind, with few recent treatments available. The result is uncertainty regarding how best to access and interview Congress. In this study, we implement a novel study design, interviewing over 20 authors—who collectively represent nearly all Congressional qualitative interview studies from the past several decades—about their research practices. Whereas the existing literature focuses on lessons learned from one or two authors’ research experiences, this approach allows us to synthesize a wide range of researchers’ practices and perspectives, identifying areas of consensus and dispute and ultimately providing comprehensive advice to qualitative researchers. As interviewing Congress becomes increasingly difficult amidst growing political polarization and distrust of academics, this methodological advice comes at an opportune time for researchers studying the US Congress and beyond.