The document compares four types of interviews: structured, semi-structured, clinical, and unstructured. Structured interviews have standardized questions but restrictive answers, while semi-structured interviews standardize most questions but allow some flexibility. Clinical interviews are flexible but difficult to replicate, and unstructured interviews are natural but hard to generalize from. Overall, the document outlines the key advantages and disadvantages of each type of interview format.

1. Types of Interview
Joana Correia de Barros
2014
Compare the types of interview, at a glance
Type of
Interview
Advantages Disadvantages
Structured
Interview
• Standardisation of all
questions can give
quantifiable data.
• Replication.
• Data is more reliable
as the issue is being
investigated in a
consistent way.
• Allows generalisation
of results/conclusions
to the population
from which the
sample was drawn.
• Restrictive
questioning leads to
restrictive answers.
• Insensitive to
participants' need to
express themselves.
• Validity of questions
asked. Are they the
right ones?
Semi-
structured
Interview
• Standardisation of
most questions gives
quantifiable data.
• Replication.
• Data is therefore
reasonably reliable.
• Its use of an
occasional
spontaneous
question makes
these answers
difficult to quantify
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2. Types of Interview
Joana Correia de Barros
2014
• Ability to ask some
spontaneous
questions is sensitive
to participants need
to express
themselves.
and analyse.
• Spontaneous
questions asked of
some and not of
others can be seen
as unfair, especially
in personnel
selection.
Clinical
Interview
• Flexible, responsive
and sensitive to
participants.
• Preparation of core
questions should
ensure validity.
• Core questions and
responses should be
reliable and analysed
easily.
• Difficult to replicate.
• As a result an
inability to generalise
your findings to a
wider population.
• Possible interviewer
bias in their use of
leading spontaneous
questions.
Unstructured
Interview
• Flexible, responsive
and sensitive to
participants.
• Difficult to replicate.
• As a result, an
inability to generalise
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3. Types of Interview
Joana Correia de Barros
2014
• Relaxed and natural
for those taking part.
• Highly detailed and
ecologically valid
qualitative data.
your findings to a
wider population.
• Possible interviewer
bias in 'selective' use
of leading, and
spontaneous
questions.
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