Interveiws

• Interview: A conversation between the researcher and the interviewee by using a set of questions or prompts.
• Two types of interview: Structured and Unstructured.
• Structured Interview: A type of interview that is designed to elicit information in a specific order, no variation.
• Unstructured Interview: A type of interview where the interviewer asks open-ended questions to the respondent, no rigid structure.
• Structured Interview evaluation:

  • Strength- Reliable, it can be repeated to get the same results. (T)
  • Strength- Not as time consuming. (P)
  • Strength- Interviewer can explain and clarify questions. (P)
  • Limitation- More expensive as staff need to be paid. (P)
  • Limitation- Interviewer can't probe for more. (P)
  • Limitation- Questions may be interpreted differently. (T)
• Unstructured Interview evaluation:

  • Strength- Provides in-depth qualitative data. (P)
  • Strength- Interviewee can express their opinion more freely. (P)
  • Strength- Useful for sensitive subjects. (E)
  • Limitation- Lot's of interviewer effects. (P)
  • Limitation- Low reliability. (T)
  • Limitation- Samples are usually small, not representative. (T)