Structured Interview

Definition

A structured interview is a research method where an interviewer follows a predetermined set of questions, ensuring consistency and comparability across different interviews. This approach helps to minimize biases and allows for the collection of quantitative data, which can be easily analyzed. By using a fixed format, structured interviews streamline the interview process and enhance reliability.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Structured interviews typically use closed-ended questions, which limit responses to specific options, making it easier to analyze results statistically.
2. They are often employed in quantitative research studies due to their ability to produce reliable and comparable data across different subjects.
3. This type of interview is especially useful when the goal is to gather data from a large sample size efficiently.
4. Structured interviews help reduce interviewer bias, as the set questions must be followed uniformly for all participants.
5. While structured interviews can provide consistency, they may limit the depth of responses and personal insights that open-ended formats can offer.

Review Questions

• How does a structured interview ensure consistency across different interview sessions?
  • A structured interview ensures consistency by using a predetermined set of questions that all participants must answer in the same order. This standardized approach minimizes variations in how questions are posed and interpreted, allowing for direct comparison of responses across different interviews. It creates a uniform experience for each respondent, which contributes to the reliability of the data collected.
• What are some advantages and disadvantages of using structured interviews compared to other interviewing techniques?
  • The advantages of structured interviews include their ability to produce reliable data, reduce bias, and facilitate analysis due to consistent question formats. However, disadvantages include their potential limitations in exploring complex topics or obtaining rich qualitative insights since they primarily rely on closed-ended questions. In contrast, unstructured or semi-structured interviews allow for more flexibility and deeper understanding but can introduce variability in responses.
• Evaluate how the use of structured interviews can impact the overall research findings in a study.
  • Using structured interviews can significantly impact research findings by providing clear, comparable data that enhances the study's validity. This method ensures that responses are gathered uniformly, making it easier to analyze trends and patterns across a larger population. However, this approach may overlook nuanced perspectives or deeper insights that arise from less rigid interviewing methods, potentially affecting the richness of the findings and leading researchers to draw conclusions based on limited data.

Related terms

Interview Protocol: A detailed guide that outlines the questions and procedures to be followed during an interview, ensuring that all necessary topics are covered.

Open-Ended Questions:

Questions that allow respondents to answer in their own words, providing richer qualitative data compared to closed-ended questions.

Survey Methodology: The study of various methods used to collect information from respondents, which can include structured interviews as one of the approaches.