Metatheory and Interviewing: Harm Reduction and Motorcycle Safety in Practicedescribes and applies a unique approach for advancing harm reduction theory. Emily J. Haas and Marifran Mattson argue that using harm reduction as a metatheory to guide qualitative interviews strengthens the use and acceptance of harm reduction and the application of constructs within health theories. Through analysis of in-depth interviews with respective participantsat-risk motorcyclistswhich are informed by harm reduction metatheory, the authors examine how this unique approach to interviewing can be used to link metatheory, theory, methodology, and ultimately application and translation of research results.Metatheory and Interviewing culminates with a discussion of how the way we conduct and analyze interviews facilitates a deeper, more intimate conversation with research participants by encouraging them to incorporate the same, overarching harm reduction framework to provide feedback about changing specific health behaviors. Scholars of health communication and research will understand the critical role of a humanistic attitude and pragmatic communication with participants, as well as the importance of further extrapolating these strategies to their broader target audience.

Emily J. Haas is behavioral research scientist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Mine Safety and Health Research.Marifran Mattson is professor and head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University and advisor to the Motorcycle Safety at Purdue campaign.

Chapter 1: The Origins and Iterations of Harm Reduction TheoryChapter 2: Setting the Stage for Harm Reduction MetatheoryChapter 3: Improving the Theoretical Utility of Harm Reduction: A Motorcycle Safety ExemplarChapter 4: A Qualitative Approach to Applying Harm Reduction MetatheoryChapter 5: Qualitative Analysis Informed by Harm Reduction Metatheory: Implications for Motorcycle SafetyChapter 6: Validity and Reflexivity in Harm Reduction Qualitative ResearchChapter 7: Harm Reduction Championing Research EthicsSummary: Future Directions for Harm Reduction Metatheory