This paper discusses the relevance of the discourse-based interview (DBI) for holistic research and access to more layers of meaning in the study of complex phenomena. We draw on our own work in workplace discourse and relevant research from different linguistic traditions, particularly sociolinguistic inquiry. We reflect on the potential of DBI for enhancing reflexivity and enabling the researcher and participant to co-create the research problem. We reposition ‘the interview’ from a tool for collecting self-reported data to a process of negotiation which allows for multiple and alternative readings of the researcher’s findings. We close the paper with a model and set of principles that expend the current framing of DBI and we provide directions for future research.