Interviews

Question 1

Define structured interviews

Question 2

Are you

Question 3

Define structured interviews

Answer 3

Pre-set, standardised questions asked in the same order for all participants.

Question 4

Are structured interviews practical

Answer 4

High
Quick to administer, easy to compare and analyse responses.

Question 5

Are structured interview ethical

Answer 5

Generally good
participants know the questions and can choose to answer.

Question 6

Are structured interviews reliable

Answer 6

High
Standardisation allows the study to be repeated with similar results.

Question 7

Are structured interviews valid

Answer 7

Moderate

Captures factual data well, but may miss personal meanings or motives.

Question 8

Example of structured interviews

Answer 8

The British Social Attitudes Survey uses structured interviews to gather standardised responses on social opinions, such as attitudes to the NHS or immigration.

Question 9

Representativeness of structured interviews

Answer 9

High if the sample is properly selected.

Question 10

How do theorists think about structured interviews

Answer 10

Favoured by positivists for objectivity; criticised by interpretivists for lack of depth.

Question 11

Define unstructured interviews

Answer 11

Open-ended, flexible interviews where the researcher explores topics in depth.

Question 12

Are unstructured interviews practical

Answer 12

Low.
Time-consuming and requires skilled interviewing.

Question 13

Are unstructured interviews ethical

Answer 13

Sensitive
Allows informed consent but may touch on personal or emotional topics.

Question 14

Are unstructured interviews reliable

Answer 14

Low
Answers vary widely; difficult to replicate exactly.

Question 15

Are unstructured interviews valid

Answer 15

High.
Provides rich qualitative data; captures meanings and motives.

Question 16

Example of unstructured interviews

Answer 16

Paul Willis in Learning to Labour conducted unstructured interviews with working-class boys to explore their attitudes toward school and work, allowing students to discuss their own experiences freely.

Question 17

Are unstructured interviews representative

Answer 17

Low.
Usually small sample sizes

Question 18

How do theorists feel on unstructured interviews

Answer 18

Favoured by interpretivists; rejected by positivists for subjectivity.

Question 19

Define semi structured interviews

Answer 19

Combines pre-set questions with flexibility to explore new ideas raised by the participant.

Question 20

Are semi structured interviews practical

Answer 20

Moderate.

More manageable than unstructured, but less rigid than structured.

Question 21

Are semi structured interviews ethical

Answer 21

Generally good;
can probe sensitive topics with consent.

Question 22

Are semi structured interviews reliable

Answer 22

Moderate.
Some standardisation, but responses still vary.

Question 23

Are semi structured interviews valid

Answer 23

High.
Captures comparable data plus deeper meanings.

Question 24

Example of semi structured interviews

Answer 24

Helen Wilkinson used semi-structured interviews to study gender differences in children’s play, allowing standard questions but following up on unexpected responses.

Question 25

Are semi structured interviews representative

Answer 25

Moderate. Can use a sample large enough to be somewhat generalisable.

Question 26

How do theorists feel on semi structured interviews

Answer 26

Favoured by interpretivists for depth; positivists may accept partial data for patterns.