ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the characteristics of 'structured', 'semi-structured' and 'unstructured' interviews. It focuses on the design a semi-structured interview schedule and the practical issues of conducting interviews. The chapter explains how using interviews is different from using a questionnaire. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of interviews for collecting data. The chapter describes the ethical issues associated with conducting interviews. Interviews involve asking research participants questions face to face. An advantage of interviews is that the researcher can use them with people who cannot read and/or write. Furthermore, since interviews collect data directly from research participants, there is not the problem about whether the questionnaires are returned to the researcher. In social research, an interview requires a relevant consent form to be signed by the interviewee in advance. Unstructured interviews are used when the researcher does not wish to influence the interviewees' answers by asking them specific questions as in structured and semi-structured interviews.
