"In common parlance, the word 'interview' refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee."
A research method wherein an anthropologist conducts one-on-one or group interviews with members of the community to gain insights into their culture and social norms.
Types of interviews: This refers to the various techniques and methods used in conducting interviews, such as structured, semi-structured, and unstructured interviews.
Ethics in interviewing: This topic covers the ethical considerations that researchers must take into account when conducting interviews, including informed consent, confidentiality, and privacy.
Selection of participants: This involves the criteria used in selecting participants for an interview, as well as how to ensure that a diverse and representative sample is obtained.
Developing interview questions: This explores the process of developing effective research questions for interviews, ranging from open-ended, probing questions to more specific, closed-ended questions.
Interview techniques: This covers the various techniques used by interviewers to guide the conversation and elicit information, such as active listening, follow-up questions, and body language.
Recording and transcribing interviews: This topic covers the practical aspects of recording and transcribing interviews, including the use of digital or analog technologies and the various tools and software available.
Data analysis: This involves the process of analyzing interview data, including the use of coding and categorization, as well as various qualitative and quantitative methods.
Writing up research findings: This covers the process of writing up research findings from interviews, including strategies for organizing and presenting data, as well as the ethical considerations associated with publishing interview-based research.
Interpreting interview data: This explores the various interpretive frameworks and theories used in analyzing interview data, as well as the critical perspectives that inform this process.
Cultural differences in interviewing: This topic covers the cultural differences that can impact the interview process, including differences in communication styles, social norms, and power dynamics.
Structured Interview: These interviews are highly structured and follow a predetermined set of questions that are asked in a specific order. The interviewer has limited discretion to change the questions or follow-up with additional questions.
Semi-Structured Interview: These interviews have a set of predetermined questions, but the interviewer has more flexibility to ask follow-up questions and adjust the order of the questions in response to the interviewee's answers.
Unstructured Interview: These interviews are free-flowing conversations between the interviewer and interviewee. There is no predetermined set of questions or order to the conversation.
Group Interview: This interview involves several participants and is often used in focus group settings. The interviewer asks a set of questions to the group, and each person has the opportunity to respond.
Ethnographic Interview: This interview is used in ethnographic research and involves building rapport with the interviewee and encouraging them to speak freely about their experiences and beliefs.
Key Informant Interview: These interviews are conducted with those who are knowledgeable about the research topic and who can provide insider information that would be difficult to obtain otherwise.
Life History Interview: This interview involves asking the interviewee to recount their life story and experiences in detail.
Oral History Interview: Similar to the life history interview, an oral history interview is focused on collecting the memories and experiences of a specific individual, often to preserve historical or cultural information.
Expert Interview: These interviews are conducted with individuals who have specialized knowledge or skills in the research topic.
Elite Interview: An elite interview is conducted with a person who holds a position of power or influence in a particular field or community.
Narrative Interview: This interview involves asking the interviewee to tell a story about a specific experience in their life or a particular topic.
Biographical Interview: This interview involves collecting detailed information about an individual's life history, including education, work, and personal experiences.
Conversational Interview: These interviews are more informal and flow naturally like a conversation. The interviewer may start with a topic, but the interview can change direction depending on the flow of the conversation.
Participatory Interview: In this interview, the interviewer and the interviewee collaborate to discuss a specific topic. The interviewee is given agency and actively participates in the research process.
"The interviewer asks questions to which the interviewee responds, usually providing information."
"A job interview or interview with a witness to an event may have no other audience present at the time, but the answers will be later provided to others in the employment or investigative process."
"An interview may also transfer information in both directions."
"Interviews usually take place face-to-face, in person."
"Interviews may be separated geographically, as in videoconferencing or telephone interviews."
"Interviews almost always involve spoken conversation between two or more parties."
"In some instances, a 'conversation' can happen between two persons who type their questions and answers."
"Interviews can be unstructured, free-wheeling and open-ended conversations without predetermined plan or prearranged questions."
"One form of unstructured interview is a focused interview in which the interviewer consciously and consistently guides the conversation so that the interviewee's responses do not stray from the main research topic or idea."
"Interviews can also be highly structured conversations in which specific questions occur in a specified order."
"They can follow diverse formats; for example, in a ladder interview, a respondent's answers typically guide subsequent interviews, with the object being to explore a respondent's subconscious motives."
"Typically, the interviewer has some way of recording the information that is gleaned from the interviewee, often by keeping notes with a pencil and paper, or with a video or audio recorder."
"The traditionally two-person interview format, sometimes called a one-on-one interview, permits direct questions and follow-ups, which enables an interviewer to better gauge the accuracy and relevance of responses."
"It is a flexible arrangement in the sense that subsequent questions can be tailored to clarify earlier answers."
"Further, it eliminates possible distortion due to other parties being present."