For interviews, the researcher usually asks questions of the research participants directly. This most often occurs in person, but can also occur by phone, Skype, meeting software teleconference, or by email.
- Interviews can be individual – where the researcher speaks to one person at a time, or they can be group interviews, where the researcher asks questions of many people at once. A focus group is a common type of group interview.
Why Use Interviews?
- Interviews are helpful for producing very detailed data.
- Interviews allow a back and forth, where the researcher can prompt for additional information or clarify what has been said.
This video provides an overview of interviews as a method of qualitative data collection (5 mins):
Different types of interviews:
Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured:
- In structured interviews, the questions are carefully crafted and should be asked in exactly the same way, and in exactly the same order for all participants. An interview guide is created by the researcher prior to the interviews and is very closely followed for each participant.
- Semi-structured interviews have an interview guide that is intended to guide the interviewer to common questions, but follow up questions can occur in any manner at as decided by the interviewer. Semi structured interview questions do not have to be asked in the same way or in the same order for every participant.
- Unstructured interviews are more like a conversation between the researcher and the research participants. They do not even require an interview guide.
- In public opinion research, you will most likely use structured or semi-structured interview approaches.
The next page will discuss interview best practices.