Building trust before data: Resilience and relational work in qualitative interviews

Abstract

Qualitative interviews in TESOL and applied linguistics promise rich insights into classroom life, yet trust must be negotiated long before data are actually collected. This reflection highlights two central challenges: recruiting participants and cultivating safe spaces for vulnerability and honest dialogue. Recruitment requires patience and ethical transparency, while meaningful interviews demand relational presence and reflexive awareness of power dynamics. This article reframes rejection and emotional labor as opportunities to build resilience among researchers. Trust in qualitative interviewing emerges not only as a method, but as a mindset shaping scholarly growth.