when looking at experiences, perceptions, constructions, in which your subjects are invested in the situation
can generate thick, rich data from a relatively small number of participants
advantages of being able to probe into above areas, without predetermining results (with exception of structured interview)
Types of interviews
structured -- both questions and answer categories are set in advance, commonly used in quantitative approaches
semi-structured -- interviewer follows guide of questions, but these can be adapted in the moment, with follow-up questions to trace emerging areas of interest
unstructured -- questions mostly driven by the participant’s context, with perhaps general topics to guide the interviewer
Drawbacks of interviews
might be difficult with sensitive issues, due to lack of anonymity and individual interaction. Some people may be more comfortable discussing certain topics in a group setting
time-consuming for the interviewer, to conduct, transcribe, and analyze
less breadth of content -- will likely be smaller sample size than other methods
may not empower participants -- they don’t have direct control over what you produce as result of interaction
limited access to actual experience -- relying upon participant’s ability to recall and articulate experience, and limited by interviewer’s structure of questions
only one perspective on particular event, doesn’t fully represent motivations or perceptions of other actors
