Semi-structured in-depth interviews involve using an interview guide or questionnaire to conduct interviews with experts in a company, network, or cluster. The semi-structured format allows for open-ended questions while maintaining consistency across interviews. Responses are recorded, either through notes or audio/video, and reflections from the interviewer are also noted. Conducting these interviews provides valuable insights from experts and a thorough understanding of the economic and social issues in a cooperation context.

1. Tool B2Semi-standardised in-depth interviews
Semi-standardised in-depth interviews with relevant representatives
of companies, regional networks or clusters, i.e. with experts, are
an important qualitative method of collecting data for people who in
some way or other are responsible for a co-operation context. They
are a systematic, methodically reliable way of obtaining relevant
information from experts on the economic and social tissue consti-
tuting a network or any other co-operation context. Their relatively
open, adjustable and dialogue-based form permits a large number of
applications.
Such interviews may be part of a case study (cf. Tool B3) on the re-
spective regional or sector context. Just as well they can be probing
stand-alone research into the complexity of such an economic con-
text. But solidly analysed, already a small series of them will provide
you in a short time span with a valuable treasure of information and
assessments from experts of your co-operation context. The accumu-
lation of such interviews eventually will provide you with an excep-
tional overview and make you an expert in your own right as hardly
anybody else will have collected the same sort of information and
knowledge.
Such interviews are not only useful when you start working in a new
network management job or as a facilitator in a new context. The
practicing of such interviews will notably improve your capacity of
extracting meaningful information from ordinary conversations with
relevant people, particularly because they train your capacity of
active listening and of cross-checking (triangulation) information
from different sources. Both capacities are equally important for
managers as for facilitators.
Experts
are all those people for you who are able to provide you with useful
and meaningful answers and impressions to questions and uncertain-
ties you have concerning facts and trends of your field of responsibil-
ity.
In-depth interviews
are a qualitative method of posing probing questions in order to ob-
tain oral information on issues of interest for a larger community, be
it a network, an association, a company or an institution with refer-
ence to a defined market or clientele, or the scientific community.
Who is an expert?
What are in-depth
interviews?
Cf. Tool B3:
Case studies
24.07.2008, 14:51:46

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Semi-structured
What does semi-
structured mean?
are interviews when for conducting the interview a questionnaire, an
interview guide or simply a catalogue of questions is used of which
some questions are closed, may be even asking for quantifying or
scaled answers, others are open (see Annex Tool B2).
Main characteristics of in-depth interviews:Characteristics
Open-ended ques-
tions
• Open-ended questions, i.e. questions starting with interrogative
pronouns: what, who, how, why, where, when, instead of ques-
tions which only can be answered with yes or no, will make sure
that your interview partner will explain in more detail and the
role of the interviewer as an active listener is underlined.
• The semi-structured format will warrant that you have a stable
basic battery of questions which will be posed in each interview.
If possible questions should also be made in the same order dur-
ing the interview. If the respondent deviates too far from the
topic, then carefully return him or her to the topic at hand.
But even if you don’t insist in asking your questions in a specific
order just following seemingly the natural flow of conversation,
(already the confection of) the interview guide will reassure you
and serve as a checklist safeguarding that you touch all relevant
issues.
As we are dealing with expert interviews here, most interview
partners will accept that you will want a quantified or scaled an-
swer to a few relevant statements (see example in Annex Tool
B2).
The semi-structured
format
Conversational
interview • They are basically conversational; the interviewer’s role is pri-
marily the role of a listener. Nevertheless, in an expert inter-
view, experts interviewed by a (growing) expert, yourself, will
ask back: What do you mean by this question? What is the idea
behind this question? So make sure to have clear intentions and
be prepared to make hypothetic statements on the background
of your question.
It is highly recommendable to send your interview guide to the
respondent about a week in advance. Also experts do not know
everything by heart; they might want to prepare themselves in
order to provide reliable data and information as well as sound
assessments. A well conceived interview guide also is a proof of
your own expertise. Posing meaningful questions is not easy. The
letter or email to which the interview guide is attached should
explain in some detail the aim and purpose of the interview and
expose a question or hypothesis guiding the whole survey con-
text, even if it is the same text as on the interview guide (see
Annex Tool B2).
• Responses are recorded, at least with written notes, in research
typically also with audiotape or even video. If no technical re-
cording is wanted or possible (ask in advance), make sure to have
a second person with you for co-recording. Then you can contrast
and complement your recordings later. Recording should also in-
clude spontaneous reactions (non-verbal behaviour like laughs,
heavy nodding, etc.).
Responses are
recorded
• It is absolutely recommendable to also record your own reflec-
tions on the interview as soon as possible after it.
Record your own
reflections, too

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Hence, the interview guide or semi-standardised questionnaire
should have three sections:
• the face sheet containing all standard information on the back-
ground and rationale of the interview (why you do it), on your-
self, i.e. presenting yourself very briefly, and on your interview
partner (name, organisation, function, etc.);
• the actual questions, partly may be statements to be scaled, and
their possible follow-ups;
• the final part for notes after the interview providing you space
for detailing interpretations, your feelings, and other comments.