Disadvantages Of Unstructured Interview

Furthermore, the researchers have obviously stated and justified that data was meaningfully gathered using a semi-structured interview where prompts and probing questions techniques were used to guide the participants. According to Wilson (2012) that 'semi-structured interviews allow for more flexibility. They involve having a set of guiding questions that

Phenomenological interview limitations may appear due to the researcher’s lack of experience in conducting interviews (Downey, 2015); which may interfere with the researcher’s focus and intentionality (Ashworth, 2017). Limitations may occur with the relationship between the researcher and the interviewee, including power struggles which might affect trust and honest participant reflections (Boucher, 2017). Further, time limitations could impede upon a participants deliberation process during the interview process (Downey, 2015). If a researcher is to understand the essence of a phenomenon; a suspension of judgment is required during participant interviews (Ashworth, 2017). Additionally, the researcher will need to be extremely attentive to experience the study through the participants’ eyes (Kelley, 2016). Individuals may choose not to answer every question, which is acceptable; yet, missing data can also become a limitation to the study. However, if enough participants do not answer the same question, the question might need to be reframed or removed; additionally, secondary data, such as technical reports, white papers or additional publications might be necessary to validate the research question (Johnston, 2014).

The method I chose for this analysis is in-depth interview. This ethnographic method will be best because it allows me to understand an

A qualitative methodological approach was the obvious choice in that it allows for the collection and interpretation of stories, narratives, interviews and other forms of non-quantifiable data. A qualitative approach also does not demand or strive for detached objectivity of the researcher but instead encourages the disclosure of researcher bias and the engagement of the researcher with the research and subjects, often in the role of participant-observer (Dade, Tartakov, Hargrave, & Leigh,

Maxwell (2005) also notes that qualitative research can be used to address various issues and is not restricted to one ontological stance. The method also involves developing a relationship with the people one is studying, an aspect that is important in defining the authenticity of the data and determining the course of action.

Interviews – Used to gather qualitative data. Interviews allow for more exploration into the subject or factors being researched. The advantages of interviews are that the researcher can easily control the way in which the interviews are constructed as interviews can be structured, semi structured or unstructured (YMAY 61). The book gave an example of sociologist Michelle Lamont interviewing upper-middle-class men in France and the United States about their tastes. She was able to have the interview be unstructured, open-ended style which allowed the 160 subjects interviewed to

“Problems researched with the use of appropriate methods greatly enhance the value of the research.” (Sekaran, 2003) Data can be collected through interviews, questionnaires, observations, and through other techniques, like projective tests. In even more detail, interviews can be conducted in a variety of different ways such as over the phone, through the computer, interviews through the electronic media, and face-to-face. Questionnaires can be conducted personally or administered electronically. “Interviewing, administering questionnaires, and observing people and phenomena are the three main data collection methods in survey research.” (Sekaran, 2003) As stated before, data can be collected in many different ways; however the value of the research is only greatly enhanced when personal opinions and bias is left out of the collection of data.

One advantage of a semi structured interview is that in the case of participants who tend to answer questions briefly, the interviewer can ask more open ended questions and cater the structure of the interview for the participant. The interviewer has a choice of which order to ask the questions in and how to ask them. For instance, in the transcript for the interview, the interviewer is being provided with one sentence yes/no replies in the beginning. Then, a few questions later, the interviewer asks a more detailed question that asks the participant how they manage their diabetes and who helps them. This prompts a more detailed response from the participant, who has now been asked to speak more freely about their experience with diabetes. Furthermore, for semi-structured interviews, the interviewers can follow what the participants are saying and modify their questions accordingly. The interviewer can be prompted by something the participant has said, and explore that prompt further in their proceeding questions. For example, when the respondent states that they do their own finger prick blood test, the interviewer then explores that deeper by asking follow up questions such as what equipment the participant uses and the difference in their own materials versus the hospital’s. Furthermore, in a semi-structured interview, the participant might bring up interesting points the interviewer had not come across in their

Each of them has been recorded and abruptly transcribed so that it is possible to have access to all the data that could be required for a future study on the subject, since it would be impossible to replicate the study. In fact, when an interview method is used for a study, with the decrease of rigid structure, reliability decreases too. However the author's choice of using this method is understandable since the aim of the study was to show how does it feels living outside the constructed structure of society and no other method could be more accurate in the description of this. Interviews allow a deep analysis of facts are one of the most powerful ways for getting the story behind a participant’s experiences (McNamara, 1999).

The interviews were recorded on tape this was good method of recording because sometimes when the information is written it can be translated different by the person who is recording the answers as they may interpret it differently. The other drawback that occurred in this study is that the exact design of the questions been asked to the respondents varied, this can affect the results as one person may elaborate more than someone else and therefore has the opportunity to be asked further questions. “The exact format of each individual was determined by the participant, as the individual questions presented to each person varied according to earlier individual responses.” (Appendix 1)

As mentioned by Jarvis (2012), interview is a valuable part of data collection and provides an insight on how the person perceives their state of well-being. This

Whereas a structured interview follows a standardised format, in an unstructured interview the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the interview. Supporters argue that this brings a number of important advantages. Such as, rapport and sensitivity, the interviewee's views are clearer, the ability to check understanding, flexibility and the ability for the interviewer to explore unfamiliar topics. However, there are multiple disadvantages to using unstructured interviews in sociological research. Such as, practical problems, which include, time and sample size, training, and interpersonal skills, there are also issues with representativeness, reliability, quantification and validity.

In chapter eight, DeWalt and DeWalt elaborate on the collection of data from conversations and informal interviewing. The authors state that the type of interviewing associated with participant observation is typically informal. According to the text, the researcher should follow the informant’s lead and occasionally ask questions related to the research question. Interviewing that is associated with research is different from a normal conversation in two ways: (1) the researcher is interested in answering a specific question (or questions) (2) the researcher knows they will be writing notes about the conversation, and this impacts the way they interact with the informant.

The article titled learning to interview in the social sciences makes a valid point that as interviewers we can never ensure what will happen during an interview. To some degree interviewing for the social sciences and the purpose of research resembles clinical intake interviews. Both processes are in fact “reality constructing, meaning-making occasions”. In my opinion the qualitative interview while it may develop a different ebb and flow than research specific qualitative interview, as they tend to have more targeted overall research questions, they both have the same aim in mind; to collect, interpret, and analysis “data” on some level. The findings obtained by the researchers in this study while valid they are not necessarily inclusive

The proposed methodology is a primary qualitative approach of semi-structured interviews. This method has been chosen as the focus of this