ABSTRACT
Interviews tend to form part of everyday life for most people. They read periodicals or listen to radio and television programs that draw on the interview formula. In most cases, an interview has identifiable effects on both the interviewee and the interviewer. Interviewing implies interaction, and in turn, interaction implies that the interacting individuals necessarily influence each other. In the objectivist view, the interview is conducted simply to bring the interviewee’s personal thoughts to the surface. The thoughts involved deal with such things as the interviewee’s work situation, relationships, past, well-being, plans for the future, ambitions and so on. Interview questions are described as ‘structured’ when the interview guide unequivocally prescribes how they have to be worded, and in what order they have to be presented to the interviewee. Questions are said to be ‘unstructured’ when the interviewer is allowed to formulate them in his or her own way and to present them in his or her own order.
