Navigating Elite Interviews: The Experience of a Novice Researcher from a Non-Western Context

Interviewing educational leaders in education poses a unique methodological challenge, especially for novice researchers, due to the different levels of experience between researcher and participants and the context of the research under investigation. These elites were highly influential, well-educated, and confident - work in organisations that carefully manage their public image, making access and relationship building difficult. For an inexperienced researcher, elite interviews offer a rare insight into the intricate interplay of influence, information control and strategic communication styles. This article looks at the experiences of a novice researcher conducting elite interviews with Malaysian educational leaders serving as college directors. Drawing on firsthand experiences, it highlights the challenges specific to the local context, such as institutional gatekeeping, hierarchical structures, and cultural expectations of deference. This article also discusses the lessons learnt and practical strategies necessary for navigating these obstacles, offering guidance for researchers engaging with elite participants. By shedding light on these nuanced realities, this article contributes to the broader discourse on elite interviewing as a qualitative research method and provides actionable insights for researchers working in culturally complex settings.