Hi,
I want to remove someone from my interview data. It's because the person doesn't fill the requirements. You may think how this could have happened if I am the one choosing the participants... well, my research was rejected from few social services, and I thought that interviewing a lecturer in similar field would be beneficial. I e-mailed him, sent him the questions, and he said he would participate. But when the interview started he had nothing to talk about because he hadn't had any experience in this, and doesn't know any one who had! We talked about the matter for ten minutes, it was mostly him being arrogant and finding faults in my research and terminology...like for example, me using an american word, which is not used in English law. How wrong was he and I explained it him that it is used in English law and in what circumstances, and he got even meaner. I had enough, I thanked him politely and left. I wish I had more courage to stand up and say what I thought of him.

So my question is, should I inform him in writing that I am not going to include his interview in my research?

I wouldn't. I would just treat him like any other participant, thank him for taking part and include him in any follow-up communication you intend to send your participants (eg if you've said you will send them a report at the end of the study).

When you're doing interviews, people can be more or less helpful, and more or less polite, and one of the important things about interviewing is just to handle the less helpful/less polite ones courteously, even if they haven't said anything useful. You did the right thing by not telling him what you thought.

Can't you use anything of what he said? Even the fact that he didn't say anything related to youyr subject can be data! Maybe you could use him as an example of how people wanted to participate but did not have anything to offer for this and that reason......

I agree with chickpea, no need to inform him at all. There's no need to include irrelevant interviews. Some of mine added little if anything.

totally agree with Chickpea, and best of luck with your research

love satchi

Thank you everyone for your reply. I feel much better now :)