Structured and unstructured interviews

by

Ahsan Mubeen

Interview

An interview is formal meetings between two people (the interviewer and the respondent) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information

An oral examination of an applicant for a job or for different purposes.

Types of interviews

Structured Interviews

Unstructured Interviews

Structured interview

Definition

Interviewer gives a set of predetermined questions to the respondent.

Quantitative Approach

Aim

• Measures facts, attitudes, knowledge, behavior

• Finding accurate information without influences from the researcher

• interviewer and respondent have minimum interaction and no distraction,

• strict control over interview so there is no flexibility.

Structured interview

Concern While Conducting Interviews

i. Keeping control of how questions are asked

ii. Using the same questions for all interviewees

iii. Following a fixed order

iv. Using a rating scale or tick box

v. Ethical considerations

Structured interview

How to conduct

I. Telephone

II. Face-to-face

Structured Interviews

Strengths

Control

Can ensure questions are fully understood

Equal opportunity for the respondent to show their skill

Weaknesses

Respondent have to give the answer from the selected options of interviewer

Limit freedom to talk

time consuming

Unstructured Interviews

Definition

repeated face-to-face encounters between the researcher and the informants directed toward understanding informants’ perspective on their lives, experiences, or situations as expressed in their own words

Qualitative interviewing

Non-directive interviewing

Non-standardized interviewing

Open-ended interviewing

In-depth interviewing

Unstructured Interviews

To conduct a good interview Be nonjudgmental

Ask open questions

Allow people to speak

Be a good listener

Tolerate the silence

Probe when it is appropriate

Make sure you have the right understanding

Unstructured Interviews

Aim/Logic Important to the participants What meaning the phenomenon under study has

to them Their point of view Their understanding and experiences

Unstructured Interviews

Strengths

Rich data

Understand what is important to the participant

General understanding of provided when little is know about the issue

Important concepts are uncovered that can eventually guide future enquiries

Weaknesses

People say and do different things in different situations

Language barriers

Time consuming

Researcher’s bias

Little control

Attention not focused on a given issue

Very little factual information provided

Thank you