Structured Interviews

Question 1

What are some practical strengths of structured interviews?

Answer 1

• quickest and cheapest type of interview
• can interview more people than with other interviews
• data is easy to analyse
• higher response rate than questionnaires

Question 2

What are some theoretical strengths of structured interviews?

Answer 2

• can identify cause and effect relationships
• highly reliable
• can reach large samples so highly representative
• detached and objective

Question 3

What are some practical limitations of structured interviews?

Answer 3

• restricts the amount of detail that people can give

- only paints a snap shot of a persons feelings at the exact moment

Question 4

What are some theoretical limitations of structured interviews?

Answer 4

• restricted responses can reduce the validity of answers
• little freedom to clarify misunderstanding
• people may lie or exaggerate
• interview bias may be a problem (pre-convinced ideas about a candidate)

Question 5

What are structured interviews?

Answer 5

• questions are delivered by the researcher
• strict interview schedule
• monitored tone of voice