Interview Features

Question 1

Features

Answer 1

• Interviews are useful for gathering more detailed information and enabling a more natural and flexible approach to questioning. The interviewer usually had certain topics that they want to explore but they still involve pts giving information about their views, opinions or attitudes on a specific topic.
• interviews can be structured, unstructured or semi-structured.
• An interviewer can ask closed and/or open questions to gather different types of data.

Question 2

Structured interview

Answer 2

Mostly ask questions that have been prewritten however the interviewer may sometimes add follow-on questions to clarify a response. The questions can be closed or open, but follow a SET format.

Question 3

Unstructured

Answer 3

Interviewer will have very few predetermined questions; rather they will have a number of topics they want to explore. This is more like a conversation. The questions tend to be open.

Question 4

Semi - structured

Answer 4

Interview is a mixture of the two. It aims to explore some themes and has some set questions. However, the interviewer is allowed to explore some of these areas further based upon the interviewees’ initial responses.

Question 5

Evaluation - strengths

Answer 5

• They allow for detailed information. To be obtained as most interviews use a combination of both open and closes questions. (Unstructured = qualititative and vice versa for structure).
• Interviews are more useful than questionnaires as they can also identify body language and other NVB. This allows a skilled interviewer to gather even further data.

Question 6

Evaluation - Weaknesses

Answer 6

Interviews are more time consuming than questionnaires. This is because the interview needs to be organised and analysed and it’s costly. Especially with an unskilled interviewer. This may matter because the interviewer may forget to have different opinions.