Understanding Semi-Structured Interviews: Definition and Purpose
A semi-structured interview is a qualitative research method used to gain an in-depth understanding of the respondent’s feelings and beliefs on specific topics.
As the interviewer prepares the questions ahead of time, they can adjust the order, skip any that are redundant, or create new ones. Additionally, the interviewer should be prepared to ask follow-up questions and probe for more detail.
Semi-structured interviews are often considered ‘the best of both worlds.’ This is because they combine elements of structured and unstructured interviews, giving semi-structured interviews the advantages of both: comparable, reliable data and the flexibility to ask follow-up questions.
Moreover, this style of interview is meant to be adapted according to the answers and reactions of the respondent, which provides significant flexibility. Semi-structured interviews encourage two-way communication, allowing themes and ideas to emerge organically. The format feels more natural and casual for participants compared to formal interviews.
Open-ended questions allow the respondent to provide nuanced answers, yielding more valuable insights than other forms of data collection, such as structured interviews, surveys, or questionnaires. Neutral questions are also effective in capturing a broader range of opinions than closed questions, which is ultimately one of the biggest benefits of using semi-structured interviews for research.
In a semi-structured interview, the researcher should always be vigilant for opportunities to probe into the participant’s thoughts and opinions. Along with preparing follow-up questions, getting in the habit of asking clarifying questions whenever possible is important. Clarifying questions are especially crucial for user interviews because individuals often provide vague responses when discussing their interactions with products and services.
A semi-structured interview is a data collection method that relies on asking questions within a predetermined thematic framework. However, the questions are not set in order or phrasing. In research, semi-structured interviews are often qualitative in nature and generally used as exploratory tools in various fields, including marketing and social science.
Semi-structured interviews are best used when researchers have prior interview experience and the research question is exploratory in nature. Participant answers can guide future research questions and develop a more robust knowledge base for future investigations.
For interviewers, the constructed part of a semi-structured interview gives them a general overview of the interviewees. This aids in drawing objective comparisons, which is helpful for either qualitative research studies or job interviews. Additionally, the unstructured part provides interviewees the space to request clarification on answers and express their thoughts freely, leading to a less stressful interview experience.
It is generally beneficial for interviewers to have an interview guide prepared. An interview guide is an informal grouping of topics and questions that the interviewer can ask in different ways for different participants. Interview guides help researchers focus on the topics at hand without constraining them to a particular format.
Researchers can use semi-structured interviews to collect new, exploratory data related to a research topic, triangulate other data sources, or gather in-depth insights into the subject matter. Semi-structured interviews are commonly utilized in qualitative research and are the most frequent qualitative data source in health services research.
Crafting Effective Questions for Semi-Structured Interviews
When designing your interview questions, keep in mind some best practices:
- Prioritize open-ended questions: Promote a more interactive, meaningful dialogue by avoiding questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no, also known as close-ended questions. Stick with ‘what,’ ‘when,’ ‘who,’ ‘where,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how’ questions. This approach helps the participant express their ideas and opinions beyond the superficial.
- Plan some follow-up questions: Consider the likely responses to your initial questions and pair them with relevant follow-up questions. Factual questions should be followed by opinion-based inquiries. This will help you delve deeper into the participant’s responses and highlight the most important themes of your research focus.
- Avoid leading questions: Ensure that your questions do not lead the participant toward a particular response. This promotes authenticity in their answers.
- Use the critical incident method: This technique helps to elicit detailed responses by prompting participants to discuss specific events or experiences related to your research topic.
In order to facilitate an effective semi-structured interview, consider the following guidelines:
- Encourage interaction to gather more specific data than typical formal interviews allow. Balance prepared questions with space for organic conversation.
- Make participants feel comfortable by introducing yourself, explaining your role in the organization, and displaying appropriate body language.
- Outline the purpose of the interview to give participants an idea of what to expect.
Additionally, guidelines for designing semi-structured interview questions include:
- Using open-ended questions to elicit descriptive answers.
- Employing language that participants can easily understand.
- Keeping questions as short as possible.
- Avoiding negative phrasing.
- Asking important questions first to capture essential information.
The importance of the semi-structured interview lies in its ability to provide comparable, reliable, and qualitative data. This approach allows the interviewer to be conversational, facilitating two-way communication which is crucial for gathering in-depth insights.
Examples of effective semi-structured interview questions include:
- What is your task in this project?
- What are the challenges you have faced while completing the project?
- How will other people benefit from the project you have developed?
- How do you gather requirements for the project?
Finally, the semi-structured interview technique is particularly useful when there are limited opportunities to interview a candidate. This approach is typically preceded by observation, allowing the researcher to develop various topics necessary for crafting effective semi-structured questions.
Advantages and Challenges of Using Semi-Structured Interviews in Research
Advantages of Semi-Structured Interviews
- Semi-structured interviews provide an effective and feasible research method for family physicians in primary care research settings.
- They enable researchers to delve deeper into specific topics. The open-ended nature of the questions allows participants to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in detail. This can lead to a comprehensive understanding of the research subject and reveal insights that might be missed with more rigid interview structures.
- One of the primary advantages is their flexibility. Interviewers can adapt the conversation based on the participant’s responses, allowing for the exploration of new themes that may arise during the interview. This provides richer and more nuanced data.
- The conversational style of semi-structured interviews can help build rapport between the interviewer and the participant. This can lead to a more comfortable and open dialogue, encouraging participants to share more openly and honestly, especially on sensitive topics.
- Semi-structured interviews strike a balance between the rigidity of structured interviews and the flexibility of unstructured interviews, providing a framework that guides the conversation while allowing for exploration.
Challenges of Semi-Structured Interviews
- Despite their utility, semi-structured interviews can be intimidating and challenging for researchers not familiar with qualitative approaches. Conducting effective interviews requires a relational focus and practice in interviewing skills.
- Interviews should unfold as iterative interactions rather than a transactional question-answer approach to obtain quality data.
- Conducting and analyzing semi-structured interviews can be time-consuming. Each interview can take significant time, especially when delving into complex topics.
- Additionally, the process of transcribing, coding, and analyzing the data requires considerable effort and resources.
- They also present challenges such as limited comparability, subjectivity, and interviewer influence.
Application of Semi-Structured Interviews
- The overall purpose is to gather information from key informants who have personal experiences, attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs related to the topic of interest.
- Researchers can use semi-structured interviews to collect new, exploratory data related to a research topic, triangulate other data sources, or validate findings through member checking.
- For example, Chang and her colleagues conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 providers to understand their perspectives on weight gain in pregnant patients.
