Interviews with ethnic minority patients provide a rich source of data to understand their perspectives of disease and its management. Language barriers are, however, often a problem so interpreters need to be used. We explored the impact of the interpreter on cross-language interviews between researchers and respondents.

Secondary analysis of four interviews between researchers and patients involving professional interpreters.

Interpreters were actively involved and influenced the interview in several ways: they assumed the interviewer’s communicative role, edited information; initiated information-seeking, took over control of the interview, and took over the respondent’s role. While the interpreter supported the interviewer, they posed risks to the quality of the interview.

Researchers need to be aware of the influence of interpreters. Researchers should instruct interpreters carefully about their roles though they may benefit from interpreters’ strategies to support them.