An unstructured interview is a type of qualitative research interview that does not follow a rigid script. Unstructured interviews are also known as open-ended interviews because the interviewer does not use predetermined questions and follows no fixed set of guidelines. Unstructured interviews are less organised than other types of qualitative research interviews because they lack structure and follow no specific format. Because they can be so unorganised, it’s important to keep track of your thoughts during and after an unstructured interview as you may be more prone to asking tangential or irrelevant questions.

The intent behind an unstructured interview is to allow the respondent to speak freely about whatever comes to mind around a given topic or theme. This means that the interviewer doesn’t need to prepare specific questions in advance, but instead must remain alert during the interview in order to probe the respondent for detailed answers on topics that aren’t particularly thorough or don’t go into sufficient depth.

Why Use an Unstructured Interview? #

Unstructured interviews are best for open-ended research topics that don’t have a clear set of questions or hypotheses. They can be particularly useful in exploratory research studies, as well as in qualitative research studies. Unstructured interviews are useful because they allow respondents to speak freely about their thoughts and feelings regarding a given topic.

Unstructured interviews are also useful because they are flexible and allow you to follow unexpected topics that emerge during the interview, as well as maintain a natural flow when the respondent drifts off-topic. Unstructuredinterviews are also useful for studies in which respondents may feel uncomfortable providing detailed answers to predetermined questions. Respondents may feel more relaxed in an unstructured interview and therefore reveal more information than they would in a structured interview.

Limitations of unstructured interviews #

Because unstructuredinterviews don’t follow a rigid script, it’s important to keep track of your thoughts and follow the conversation as it unfolds. It’s particularly important to pay attention to the respondent’s answers so that you can follow up on topics that don’t receive sufficient attention. It’s also critical to maintain a natural flow to the interview and follow up on tangential topics that may be relevant to the study.

Unstructured interviews are also time-consuming and challenging to transcribe, so they may not be appropriate for large studies where the sheer volume of data needs to be managed. The length of an unstructuredinterview may vary depending on the respondent’s comfort level, but it can generally take between one and two hours.

When to use an unstructured interview #

Unstructured interviews are best used when the topic or research question doesn’t have a clear set of questions or hypotheses. Unstructured interviews are particularly useful in exploratory research studies, as well as in qualitative research studies. Unstructuredinterviews are useful for large-scale exploratory studies when you don’t know the specific topics that will be most relevant. They can also be used for smaller qualitative studies that don’t have a clear set of hypotheses.

How to run an unstructured interview #

Before the interview, it’s helpful to jot down a few key points or topics that you want to explore. But you may also want to leave room to follow unexpected topics that emerge during the interview as well as maintain a natural flow when the respondent drifts off topic. This means that you don’t need a rigid script during the interview. Instead, you may want to plan ahead by creating a few general questions that provide a framework for the interview.

It’s helpful to have a few open-ended questions in mind as a starting point, but you may also want to utilise probes to dig deeper into topics that don’t receive sufficient attention. You can also consider using a technique called Socratic questioning, which is a way of guiding the respondent through a conversation by asking questions based on their previous answers. This is a helpful way to follow up on topics that aren’t particularly thorough or don’t go into sufficient depth.

Conclusion #

Unstructured interviews are a flexible and open-ended research method that allows the respondent to speak freely about whatever comes to mind around a given topic or theme. They are less organised than other types of qualitative research interviews because they lack structure and follow no specific format. The intent behind an unstructuredinterview is to allow the respondent to speak freely about whatever comes to mind around a given topic or theme.

This means that the interviewer doesn’t need to prepare specific questions in advance, but instead must remain alert during the interview in order to probe the respondent for detailed answers on topics that aren’t particularly thorough or don’t go into sufficient depth.