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Abstract
Aim To describe three styles of interviews and discuss issues regarding planning and conducting interviews.
Background Interviews are probably the approach most used to collect data in studies. They are particularly useful in uncovering the story behind a participant's experiences. Researchers can follow a line of questions to gain information about a topic, or further explore responses or findings. But the researcher needs to plan and decide the format of the interview before collecting data.
Review methods The authors included papers on structured, unstructured and semi-structured interviews published in a peer-reviewed journal and in English.
Discussion Interviews are one of the most common methods of data collection in qualitative research. However they require the researcher to have a sound understanding of their use and appropriateness. The ability to conduct interviews is one that develops over time and to aid the researcher in developing their interview skills they should consult with other researchers, seeking comments and advice and, critically, to appraise audio recordings.
Conclusion This article aims to support students who are undertaking research modules as part of their academic studies, writing a research proposal or novice researchers who are about to use interviews as a means of data collection.
Implications for research/practice To conduct a successful interview, researchers need to develop their interview technique, choose the right method and carefully plan for all aspects of the process.
Keywords Structured interview, semi-structured interview, unstructured interviews, interview guide
Introduction
An interview is a method of collecting data in which quantitative or qualitative questions can be asked. Quantitative questions are closed, whereas qualitative questions are open-ended, with participants responding in their own words. Interviews are the most frequently used method of collecting data in qualitative research and their popularity is related to their being perceived as 'talking' and talking is natural (Griffee 2005). In qualitative research, the researcher aims to understand people's lives as they are lived (Schwandt 2001, Lambert and Loiselle 2008, Schultze and Avital 2011).
Interviews generate deeply contextual accounts of participants' experiences and their interpretation of them (Schultze and Avital 2011). The interaction that takes place during interviews between researchers and participants may be beneficial for the participants and provide them with the opportunity to explore events in their lives (Holloway and Wheeler...