Interviews are an effective data-gathering method across the social sciences due to their versatility and ability to solicit more in-depth information from interviewees about a given topic or personal experience. The main purpose of interviewing is to enter into another person’s perspective (Avineri, 2017).
Using an interview is most helpful when you are researching a complex topic that requires additional information about the beliefs or values of a group. They can also be useful when your topic seeks to investigate the motivations and processes behind people’s experiences. A major strength of interviews is the ability to “probe,” or ask participants flexible questions that elicit in-depth responses (Blackstone, 2012).
Ultimately, interviews assess the what, how, and why of an individual’s experience (Avineri, 2017). Although interviews require considerable time, effort, and energy, they provide a great amount of depth and breadth for your research topics.
When to Choose Interviews as a Method
Interviews are useful when your research project requires:
Interview Pros & Cons
Wondering whether the interview is the right research method for your study? Here is an overview of some advantages and disadvantages to consider. You can also check out this video by Graham Gibbs which discusses the pros and cons of interviewing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Allows for clarification | Reactive effect: interviewer’s presence and characteristics may bias results |
| High response rate | Expensive in terms of equipment, time, and potential compensation |
| Able to gather in-depth information and to pursue hunches | Requires strong interviewing skills |
| Can tailor the line of discussion to the individual | Slowest method of data collection and analysis |
| Easier to reach those who are considered unreachable (the poor, homeless, high status, mobile, etc.) | Answers may be subject to misinterpretation |
| May be easier to reach specific individuals (e.g., community leaders, etc.) | May involve travel for interviewer and participants |
| More personalized approach | Participants who prefer anonymity may be inhibited by personal approach |
| Easier to ask open-ended questions, use probes and pick up on nonverbal cues | May reach only a smaller sample, making it difficult to analyze and quantify results |
Ethics Check!
Before you begin interviewing, it is important to receive both informed consent from each participant and approval for your research from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB is a committee that protects the rights and welfare of human research subjects, and their approval is required anytime you wish to conduct original research with a human subject whose personal data or private information will be collected.
Personal Project
Consider your own research question. Would using interview research help you to answer that question? Will your research benefit from offering a unique lens through which to discover and explain the shape and dynamics of the social world? Take into account the time commitment that interviews ask of both you as the researcher and your participants. If you feel interview research is exactly what you have been looking for, read on!
