The qualitative interview
Evers & De Boer
Chapter 2
What is qualitative interviewing?
The qualitative interview, also known as open, unstructured, semi-structured or in-depth
interview, is very similar to an ordinary conversation. However, it differs in some respects:
1. The interview is a research tool, i.e. a deliberate process to collect information, which
is then analyzed by the researcher, in the context of a research question, and of
which the results are published.
2. The researcher determines the topic for the interview and intentionally selects the
persons that are going to be interviewed, possibly through intermediaries.
3. Both strangers and acquaintances are interviewed.
4. The researcher leads the interview, addresses topics deliberately, and explores these
in depth with the respondents.
5. The answer is not known in advance, i.e. it is not presented to the interviewee by the
interviewer.
6. The respondent determines to a large extent the size and type of information given.
To achieve this, one can pursue five goals in a qualitative interview: depth and detail;
nuance; liveliness; richness; and contrasting qualitative interviews with other forms of
information gathering.
Defining the qualitative interview
A qualitative interview is a form of information gathering, in which the interviewer queries
one or more respondents, based on a research question. Thereby, the interviewer creates
space for the respondents to dwell on the perceived facts, their experiences, the meaning
they give to the subject of investigation, nuances regarding it and its possible effect on their
lives. In doing so, the interviewer tries to understand and thoroughly investigate the
respondents’ world.
On an epistemological level, there is an ethical position linked to the qualitative interview.
Besides, quality standards regarding the research efforts, the humanity of the relationship
between researcher and respondent, and the completeness and accuracy of data and
research, are issues to be taken into account.
We assume that, once the researcher has decided what his research problem is, he will first
determine who the target audience is for the project. Only then he can decide what type of
interview is preferable.
Respondents come in shapes and sizes
It may seem obvious but the differences between people play a role in preparing a
qualitative interview.
Who are you, as an interviewer?
, Reflecting on one’s interview style is an integral part of the qualitative research process. The
Skill Learning Cycle by Gorden, which visualizes how theoretically the process of refining
interview skills will progress, can be of help in doing so. The cycle starts by planning,
followed by doing, transcription & analysis and finishes with a reflection.
Exploration, interview types and questions
Qualitative research is often associated with exploration. Along that line of thought, it is
assumed that qualitative researchers need little time to design their research, as this occurs
during the research project.
In exploratory research, the research question itself is quite open, as there is not a great deal
of knowledge available on the research topic yet. In that case, it is indeed not possible to
design all the details of the project beforehand. The difference between both of them can be
found in their relationship towards the research design. They share flexibility and openness
towards new insights and viewpoints.
Qualitative interviews can be characterized along several dimensions. The number of
respondents who participate in it can be used as a starting point for the type of interview to
conduct. The content one would like to cover during the interview can also be used as a
basis. Closely connected to this is the degree of structure that is planned for the interview.
Perhaps the most striking difference is between an individual interview and a group
interview. In the individual interview typically one person will be interviewed at a time,
sometimes two. In contrast, group interviews, are generally conducted with six to ten
persons simultaneously. These are called focus groups, if the investigator selects the target
respondents using certain shared characteristics.
Based on the research question and objective, the type of interview deployed is either
focused on so-called cultural issues or on thematic issues. In cultural interviews, the concern
is with everyday life, with what people do and what they transfer from generation to
generation. In thematic interviews, the concern is a subject that is often defined and is
placed in a certain time frame.
The next distinction made is based on the structuring of the interview. This can be done
through the interview model, which emphasizes a certain style of questioning. Rubin and
Rubin suggest three models, where they use the metaphor of the locks of a sluice which are
going to be opened, a meandering river and a tree with branches.
Crane and Angrosino distinguish the non-directive interview and the directive interview and
attach these to the phases of (ethnographic) research. Usually, if the researcher is new to
the field or still in the exploratory phase of a project, they will start in a non-directive way,
asking general questions. This can be compared to the opening-the-locks model. Once the
researcher has become more knowledgeable on the topic, he might like to interview in a
more focused way, selecting specific themes beforehand. This can be compared to the tree-
and-branches model.
Regarding its content, an interview question can be a main question, a follow-up question or
a probe. Probes are used in response to answers given by the interviewee. They are used for
Evers & De Boer
Chapter 2
What is qualitative interviewing?
The qualitative interview, also known as open, unstructured, semi-structured or in-depth
interview, is very similar to an ordinary conversation. However, it differs in some respects:
1. The interview is a research tool, i.e. a deliberate process to collect information, which
is then analyzed by the researcher, in the context of a research question, and of
which the results are published.
2. The researcher determines the topic for the interview and intentionally selects the
persons that are going to be interviewed, possibly through intermediaries.
3. Both strangers and acquaintances are interviewed.
4. The researcher leads the interview, addresses topics deliberately, and explores these
in depth with the respondents.
5. The answer is not known in advance, i.e. it is not presented to the interviewee by the
interviewer.
6. The respondent determines to a large extent the size and type of information given.
To achieve this, one can pursue five goals in a qualitative interview: depth and detail;
nuance; liveliness; richness; and contrasting qualitative interviews with other forms of
information gathering.
Defining the qualitative interview
A qualitative interview is a form of information gathering, in which the interviewer queries
one or more respondents, based on a research question. Thereby, the interviewer creates
space for the respondents to dwell on the perceived facts, their experiences, the meaning
they give to the subject of investigation, nuances regarding it and its possible effect on their
lives. In doing so, the interviewer tries to understand and thoroughly investigate the
respondents’ world.
On an epistemological level, there is an ethical position linked to the qualitative interview.
Besides, quality standards regarding the research efforts, the humanity of the relationship
between researcher and respondent, and the completeness and accuracy of data and
research, are issues to be taken into account.
We assume that, once the researcher has decided what his research problem is, he will first
determine who the target audience is for the project. Only then he can decide what type of
interview is preferable.
Respondents come in shapes and sizes
It may seem obvious but the differences between people play a role in preparing a
qualitative interview.
Who are you, as an interviewer?
, Reflecting on one’s interview style is an integral part of the qualitative research process. The
Skill Learning Cycle by Gorden, which visualizes how theoretically the process of refining
interview skills will progress, can be of help in doing so. The cycle starts by planning,
followed by doing, transcription & analysis and finishes with a reflection.
Exploration, interview types and questions
Qualitative research is often associated with exploration. Along that line of thought, it is
assumed that qualitative researchers need little time to design their research, as this occurs
during the research project.
In exploratory research, the research question itself is quite open, as there is not a great deal
of knowledge available on the research topic yet. In that case, it is indeed not possible to
design all the details of the project beforehand. The difference between both of them can be
found in their relationship towards the research design. They share flexibility and openness
towards new insights and viewpoints.
Qualitative interviews can be characterized along several dimensions. The number of
respondents who participate in it can be used as a starting point for the type of interview to
conduct. The content one would like to cover during the interview can also be used as a
basis. Closely connected to this is the degree of structure that is planned for the interview.
Perhaps the most striking difference is between an individual interview and a group
interview. In the individual interview typically one person will be interviewed at a time,
sometimes two. In contrast, group interviews, are generally conducted with six to ten
persons simultaneously. These are called focus groups, if the investigator selects the target
respondents using certain shared characteristics.
Based on the research question and objective, the type of interview deployed is either
focused on so-called cultural issues or on thematic issues. In cultural interviews, the concern
is with everyday life, with what people do and what they transfer from generation to
generation. In thematic interviews, the concern is a subject that is often defined and is
placed in a certain time frame.
The next distinction made is based on the structuring of the interview. This can be done
through the interview model, which emphasizes a certain style of questioning. Rubin and
Rubin suggest three models, where they use the metaphor of the locks of a sluice which are
going to be opened, a meandering river and a tree with branches.
Crane and Angrosino distinguish the non-directive interview and the directive interview and
attach these to the phases of (ethnographic) research. Usually, if the researcher is new to
the field or still in the exploratory phase of a project, they will start in a non-directive way,
asking general questions. This can be compared to the opening-the-locks model. Once the
researcher has become more knowledgeable on the topic, he might like to interview in a
more focused way, selecting specific themes beforehand. This can be compared to the tree-
and-branches model.
Regarding its content, an interview question can be a main question, a follow-up question or
a probe. Probes are used in response to answers given by the interviewee. They are used for
