Mainly asks open-ended questions that produce qualitative data that is rich in meaning
There is a strong relationship built between the interviewer and interviewees which means the data is more likely to be valid
Advantages
Rapport
Flexibility
Valid
Rapport
The informality allows the interviewer to develop a relationship with the interviewee
Flexibility
The interviewer is not restricted to a fixed set of questions
Valid
They are flexible due to how the conversation is not constrained by fixed questions - people can e more truthful
Disadvantages
Practical
Unrepresentative
Not reliable
Practical
Time consuming due to how unstructured interviews are typically longer and expensive due to training interviewers in sensitivity
Unrepresentative
Due to small research samples, data obtained is not representative of the wider population
Not reliable
Due to how the questions are open, they cannot be easily repeated by another researcher. Additionally, the respondents ability to respond in the way they wish makes it impossible to clarify their responses
