Interview
An interview is a conversation led by the evaluator with the intent of gathering data. Interviews can differ in terms of:
Participants
Individual: one participant at a time
Focus group: more than one participant at a time
Planning
Formal: the interview was pre-arranged
Informal: the interview was unplanned, perhaps happening unexpectedly in the field
Preparation
Structured: strictly defined questioning protocol, no deviations from the set questions
Semi-structured: questions or topics to discuss are prepared in advance, but the conversation can flow to new topics
Unstructured: the interviewer has no specific questions prepared
Questions
Open-ended: respondents answer in their own words
Close-ended: respondents are limited to pre-defined choices
Note: interviews may not always fit neatly into these categories - they give an idea of the ways interviews can be conducted, but are not hard rules.
See also: qualitative data, qualitative data analysis, Types of Interview Guides Infographic, Tips for Conducting Interviews
Templates: Interview Tracking Log (Word Template), Interview Tracking Log (Excel Template), Interview Guide Template - Standard Interview, Interview Information Letter Template - Standard Interview, Interview Consent Form - Standard Interview, Standard Interview Templates Bundle