The United Theological College, Bengaluru.

Master of Theology - Religion (Hinduism)

MRH 007- Research Methodology

Interview Method: Structured, Semi–Structured, and Unstructured

Facilitator: Revd Dr D. S. Ben Das Presenter: Ebenezer Samuel D. S.

Date: 12-07-2025

Introduction
Interviews are a key method in research, enabling direct interaction between researcher and
participant to obtain relevant information. Unlike casual conversation, they are guided by
research objectives and designed to explore experiences, attitudes, and perspectives in depth.
This paper outlines three main interview types, structured, semi-structured, and unstructured,
describing their features, advantages, and limitations. It also discusses the aims and process of
conducting interviews, highlighting their role as both a scientific technique and a means of
building understanding between researcher and respondent.

1. Interview
Interviews can be defined as conversations between the researcher and those being researched.
Interviews are unnatural kinds of conversations as they generally involve making explicit the
rules of the conversation. The value of the interview is that it allows the researcher to probe the
interviewee’s account of an event as well as their thoughts, values feelings and perspectives
more generally. Interviews go deep allowing the researcher to see an event or context from the
point of view of the people he/she is researching. Interviews are interactive allowing for
clarification of questions and identification of unexpected themes.1

Ran Ahuja quotes the definitions of Bingham and Moore, and Lindzey Gardener as follows:
According to Bingham and Moore, interview is “a conversation with a purpose.” 2 Lindzey
Gardener defines interview as “a two-person conversation, initiated by the interviewer for the
specific purpose of obtaining research-relevant information and focused him on the content
specified by the research objectives of description and explanation.”3 O. R. Krishnaswami and
M. Ranganatham defines interview as “a two way systematic conversation between an

1
Michael Hammond and Jerry Wellington, Research Methods: The Key Concepts, 2nd ed. (Oxon: Routledge,
2021), 109.
2
Ram Ahuja, Research Methods, 2nd ed. (Jaipur: Rawat Publications, 2018), 221.
3
Ibid.

1
investigator and an informant, initiated for obtaining information relevant to a specific study.
It involves not only conversation, but also learning from the respondent’s gestures and pauses,
and his environment.”4 Interviewing can be done by face-to-face contact, contact over
telephone or by virtual interviews by using a structured schedule or an unstructured guide.5

2. Types of Interviews
The various classifications of interviews can be discussed as follows.

2.1. Structured Interview

The structured interview is based on the structured interview guide, which is a set of specific
points and definite questions prepared by the interviewer.6 It is based on the pre-determined
questions and the standardized techniques. The standardization process is done by means of a
questionnaire or a schedule. The structured interview is primarily used to verify existing
theories and the hypotheses derived therefrom. The researcher who employs this method is
usually intent upon testing an existing set of hypotheses and s/he is less concerned with
discovery.7 The interview schedule, which is a list of questions, can be open ended or closed
ended. The interview can be face to face, by telephone or by other electronic media.8

In structured Interview, the same questions are put to all the respondents and in the same order.
Each question is asked in the same way in each interview.9 The interviewer merely proceeds
systematically through the list of questions, noting the replies given by the interviewee. S/he is
not free to adapt his/her own questions to the specific situation or to change their wordings or
to change the sequence or to ask other questions. The interviewer is supposed to keep his/her
behavior as constant from interviewee to interviewee.10

Though the structured interview is usually scheduled, it is possible to have a structured-

nonscheduled interview method. In this method, the interview techniques are midway between
the completely open, non-structured exploratory approaches and the standardized structured

4
O. R. Krishnaswami and M. Ranganatham, Methodology of Research in Social Sciences (Bangalore: Himalaya
Publishing House, 2015), 182 – 183.
5
Ibid., 183.
6
Ram Ahuja, Research Methods, 230.
7
Gideon Sjoberg and Roger Nett, A Methodology for Social Research (New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 1992),
193.
8
Ranjit Kumar, Research Methodology: A Step-by-step guide for Beginners, 3rd ed. (New Delhi: Sage, 2011),
145.
9
O. R. Krishnaswami and M. Ranganatham, Methodology of Research in Social Sciences, 185.
10
P. C. Tripathi, A Textbook of Research Methodology in Social Sciences (New Delhi: Sultan Chand and Sons,
1987), 83

2
techniques. The structured-nonscheduled interview imposes upon the researcher the necessity
of obtaining certain highly specified types of information but does not specify the manner in
which the information is to be obtained, i. e., no interview schedule is employed. The use of
this technique is predicated on the assumption either that some form of initial exploratory
investigation has been completed, or that some theoretical position has allowed a specification
of the types of relationships that are likely to exist in the situation under study. In the structured-
nonscheduled interview, sampling considerations demand considerably more attention. The
specific sampling method by which respondents are chosen will depend on the research
problem. This interview form requires interviewers of considerable technical competence,
since they must be able to channel respondents’ thinking along lines of specific theoretical
importance, even there is no schedule of prespecifies questions to assist them.11

An important factor in structured interviewing concerns the relationships between the

interviewer and the interviewee and the respective roles they play. The general assumption is
that the interviewer controls the flow of the verbal exchange by asking questions and recording
the responses of the interviewee. The interviewee is often referred to as ‘subject’ because the
person is expected to respond to a set of questions rather than to inform through participation
in a conversation. The interviewing situation is regarded as a one-way process in which the
interviewer elicits and receives but does not provide information. In structured interviewing,
detachment from the interviewee is seen essential for the reliability of the data.12

2.1.1. Advantages
The structured interview has the greatest advantage of uniformity and precision. It provides
safe basis for generalizations. To great extent, the interviewer’s bias can be restricted. It is more
methodical and easy to administer.13 With structured interview the questions posed are very
specific and therefore the responses are often specific too. This helps much in coding,
tabulation and analysis. It require less organizational work and less supervision.14 This method
is more economical and less time consuming because by forcing the interviewer to move on a

11
William D. Crano and Marilynn B. Brewer, Principles and Methods of Social Research (Boston: Allyn and
Bacon, 1986), 239 – 240.
12
Karin Klenke, Qualitative Research in the Study of Leadership (Bingley: Emeral Group Publishing Limited,
2008), 123.
13
V. Sivalinga Prasad, “Interview,” in Research Methods in Social Sciences, edited by B. A. V. Sharma, D.
Ravindra Prasad and P. Satyanarayana (Jalandar: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1983), 141.
14
P. K. Majumdar, Research Methods in Social Science (Bangalore: Viva Books Private Limited, 2005), 239.

3
fixed track it results into a wider coverage of respondents in the same time. It also demands
lesser skills of the interviewer.15

2.1.2. Disadvantages
The structured interview process, has a personal touch, which requires greater flexibility in
administering. The rigidity of the process makes it mechanical, sometimes, defeating the
purpose itself. In this method there is a danger of form getting importance than the substance.16
This type of interview, by permitting little or no flexibility to the interviewer, prevents him/her
from going into depth and exploring other avenues of information which may appear to him/her
fruitful during the interview.17 There is a diminished opportunity to pursue unexpected
discoveries that emerge from the responses of the interviewee. When structured interview is
used as a method in qualitative research, there is the risk that the researcher’s agenda will
greatly influence the data collection. The questions asked, and consequently topics covered in
the interview, may be more reflective of the salient features of the researcher’s interpretation
of situation than that of the interviewee.18

2.2. Unstructured Interview

The unstructured interview is a data collection method that is suitable for narrative or
biographical research in which the purpose of the research is to capture the life story of an
individual. No structure, guides the interview because the life story interview is not based on a
set of questions. The interviewer primarily takes the role of a facilitator to let the participant
narrate their life story. The goal is to elucidate the personal meaning, experiences, influences,
and events in interviewee’s life.19

In unstructured interview, the interviewer encourages the respondent to talk freely about a
given topic with a minimum of prompting or guidance. Here, only a broad interview guide is
used. The interviewer avoids channeling the interview directions. Instead s/he develops a very
permissive atmosphere.20 The interviews can go in depth into a topic and are appropriate for
obtaining sensitive information. They are also suitable for one-off situations with someone

15
P. C. Tripathi, A Textbook of Research Methodology in Social Sciences, 83 – 84.
16
V. Sivalinga Prasad, “Interview,” 141.
17
P. C. Tripathi, A Textbook of Research Methodology in Social Sciences, 84.
18
Scott W. Vanderstoep and Deirdre D. Johnston, Research Methods for Everyday Life: Blending Qualitative and
Quantitative Approaches (California: Jossey-Bass, 2009), 225.
19
Joshua Iyadurai, Social Research Methods (Chennai: Marina Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Religion,
2023), 74.
20
O. R. Krishnaswami and M. Ranganatham, Methodology of Research in Social Sciences, 186.

4
holding a particular viewpoint or with those who can provide factual information.21 In this
method, the interviewer forms questions as and when required. The structure of the interview
is flexible, being presented in the form of a guide. Thus, what is asked from one respondent in
the beginning may be asked from the other respondent in the end and from yet other respondent
in the middle. Similarly, some questions may be asked from some respondents but not all
respondents. The questions may not be worded in the same way. One or two particular facets
may be concentrated in one interview but other facets in other interview. This type of interview
is mostly used in qualitative research.22

In this type of interview the interviewer is free to develop each situation in whatever ways s/he
deems most appropriate for the purpose at hand. S/he can be quite stretchy in adapting his/her
approach to whatever appears to be most fruitful for a given respondent. S/he may change the
general line of questioning if important results are not forthcoming or may alter the wording of
questions so as to achieve some equivalence in meaning for different kinds of respondents or
s/he may omit some questions and add new ones and go on.23

Unstructured interview gives the authentic account of the interviewee’s subjective experience.
It aims to delve deep beneath the surface of superficial responses to obtain true meanings that
interviewees assign to their experiences and the complexities of their attitudes and
behaviours.24 This kind of interview has been variously described as naturalistic,
autobiographical, in-depth, narrative or non-directive. Thus it is also called as narrative
interviews or oral history interviews. The goal of these interviews is to capture a narrative that
addresses the research theme or purpose. This method is suitable to study the contributions of
individuals, bringing out the voices of the marginalized in history, and studying the
contributions of indigenous peoples to the growth of their churches/religious communities.25

2.2.1. Advantages
There are special advantages using unstructured interviewing method. In this method, the
interview can more closely approximate the spontaneity of natural conversation. Features of
the problem central to the respondents thinking are identified more readily. As a result, the
interviewer is less prone to impose one or other bias that would slant the course of the

21
Gerard Guthrie, Basic Research Methods: An Entry to Social Science Research (New Delhi: Sage, 2010), 119.
22
Ram Ahuja, Research Methods, 224.
23
P. C. Tripathi, A Textbook of Research Methodology in Social Sciences, 84.
24
Karin Klenke, Qualitative Research in the Study of Leadership, 125.
25
Joshua Iyadurai, Social Research Methods, 74 - 75

5
conversation and restrict the flow of data. There is a much greater opportunity to explore
various aspects of the problem in an unrestricted manner.26 As the interview is conducted in
the form of natural conversation, finding the interest of the respondent in a specific aspect of
the problem, the interviewer can focus his/her attention on that particular aspect. 27 In this
method, a skilled interviewer is able to develop new ideas about the phenomena under
investigation. S/he is able to explore many ideas snd can go considerably beyond the original
formulation of the problem. It generally leaves a favourable impression on the interviewee
because by giving an opportunity to the interviewee to speak freely it relieves his/her tensions
and clarifies his/her thinking.28

2.2.2. Disadvantages
In unstructured interview, with no systematic control over the question-asking procedures, the
reliability of the data is thrown into a serious question. It is a waste of time conducting
interviews in which the respondents have little or nothing to add to knowledge already
obtained. Without some attention to the selection of respondents, interviewers may be engaging
in needlessly repetitious or unproductive conversations. By concentrating in some detail on one
or another facet of a problem, investigators run the risk of being led up blind alleys. There is
no assurance that exploration will invariably lead to productive and fertile ground. The chances
that research activities will not provide valuable insights are pronounces when the problem
being investigated is not carefully conceptualized. To the extent that an investigator does not
know how to decide in advance on procedures for the clarification of responses, considerable
time must be devoted to coding data once the interviews have been completed. The possibility
that the same types of responses get coded differently at different times is increased.29 The data
obtained from different respondents cannot be compared with each other. With no systematic
control over asking questions, the reliability of data becomes doubtful. The obtained data
cannot be quantified. Some aspects may be left out in discussions, when conversations is
focused on few aspects.30

26
James A. Black and Dean J. Champion, Methods and Issues in Social Research (Torronto: John Wiley and
Sons, 1976), 365.
27
Ram Ahuja, Research Methods, 224.
28
P. C. Tripathi, A Textbook of Research Methodology in Social Sciences, 85.
29
James A. Black and Dean J. Champion, Methods and Issues in Social Research, 365 – 366.
30
Ram Ahuja, Research Methods, 224.

6
2.3. Semi-structured Interview
In semi-structured interview, a number of questions are prepared to cover the intended scope
of the interview. The aim of the interview is to obtain the individual views of the interviewees
on an issue. If their answers are not rich enough, the in interviewer can probe further on the
flow of conversation in the interview.31 Semi-structured interviews use guides so that
information from different interviews is directly comparable. Interview gudes usually have
standard introductions and conclusions, but allow flexibility to vary the order of intervening
questions to provide a natural flow. They usually provide coded closed-response questions.
Additionally, they look for opportunities to follow-up with open- ended probe questions, so
that the interviewer can flexibly get a better understanding of the views of the respondents. The
result is a combination of quantitative and qualitative data.32

In this type of interview, the interviewer asks a number of specific major questions be s/he is
also free to probe beyond the answers to these questions. One such interview is the focused
interview. In this interview the interviewer, though bound by a guide to be covered about each
respondent, is more or less free to frame his/her questions and to decide their sequence
according to his/her understanding of the situation. The respondents in this interview are
always persons who are known to possess the experience of the subject under study. Thus, for
example, if opinion is being gathered about a film or a broadcast they are the persons who have
seen the film or have the broadcast. The interview is always focuses on the subjective
experience of those persons.33

The semi structured interview is meant to focus attention on the given experience of the
interviewee and its effects. The main task of the interviewer is to confine the interview to a
discussion of issues with which the research is concerned.34

2.3.1. Advantages
In the semi-structured interview, all the responses from each individual interviewed can be
compared on the core questions, while other issues spontaneously raised by the interviewee
can also be taken account of. Thus, it has the reliability of the structured method and the

31
Uwe Flick, Introducing Research Methodology (New Delhi: Sage, 2015), 140.
32
Gerard Guthrie, Basic Research Methods: An Entry to Social Science Research, 120
33
P. C. Tripathi, A Textbook of Research Methodology in Social Sciences, 85.
34
P. Sam Daniel and Aroma G. Sam, Research Methodology (Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, 2010), 115.

7
freedom of the unstructured method.35 Semi-structured interviews are ideal when the researcher
seeks the independent perspectives of individuals, especially on sensitive topics that
participants may be reluctant to discuss in a group setting. They are also valuable in formative
program evaluations, enabling in-depth, and one-on-one conversations. Furthermore, they are
especially advantageous in exploratory research, where the subject area is relatively uncharted
and may involve significant yet unidentified issues. In such contexts, the flexibility of semi-
structured interviews allows interviewers to identify promising leads and pursue them in real
time.36

2.3.2. Disadvantages
Semi-structured interviews are resource-intensive and demand a high level of interviewer
competence. Effective interviewers must be intelligent, sensitive, adaptable, and well-informed
on the subject matter. The stages of preparing, scheduling, conducting, and analyzing
interviews require significant time and effort, with the analytical phase often involving the
challenging task of reviewing extensive notes or hours of transcripts. A further limitation is
that semi-structured interviews rarely achieve large sample sizes without considerable
investment in time and personnel. As a result, they are generally unsuitable for producing
statistically precise estimates comparable to those of large-scale standardized surveys.37

3. Characteristic Features of the Interview

The most salient features of the interviews are as follows,
i. Questions are asked and responses given verbally.
ii. Information is recorded by the investigator rather than by the respondent.
iii. The relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee is structured in several
specific ways.
iv. There is a considerable flexibility in the format of the interview.
When combined, these features makes the interview extremely useful as an instrument of data
collection.38

35
Martin Herbert, Planning a Research Project: A Guide for Practitioners and Trainees in the Helping
Professions (London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 1990), 54.
36
Kathryn E. Newcomer, Harry P. Hatry and Joseph S. Wholey, Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation, 4th
ed. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010), 493 – 494.
37
Ibid., 493.
38
James A. Black and Dean J. Champion, Methods and Issues in Social Research, 355 – 357.

8
4. Aims of Interview
The following section discusses the aims of interview in brief.

i. The first and foremost aim of the interview method is to bring the researcher and
the respondent into direct contact so that both may know each other and understand
the respective needs of each other.
ii. It is the aim of the interview not to waste time on facts which can be easily known
by other methods. An interviewer concentrates on knowing the unique facts about
a person.
iii. Sometimes the interviewee reveals such facts about the background of his/her
peculiar attitudes, outlooks, aspirations and behavior as are not already in the
comprehension of the researchers. These new revelations help the researcher
forming new hypothesis about personal and social behavior.
iv. When dealing with certain types of behavior, it is always desirable to hold
interviews with the persons concerned and see how far the ideas entertained are
borne out by actual facts which helps I the verification of unique ideals.

From the above discussion, it becomes evident that the purpose of interview is to obtain
specialized information rather than to study the general facts.39

5. Process of Interview
The interview process consists of the following stages
i. Preparation: The interviewing requires some preplanning and preparation. The
interviewer should keep the copies of interview schedule/guide ready for use. S/he
should also have the list of names and addresses of respondents which should be
regrouped into contiguous groups in terms of location in order to save time and cost
in travelling. Also the interviewer should be mentally prepared for the interview.
ii. Introduction: The investigator is a stranger to the respondents. Therefore s/he
should be properly introduced to each of the respondents.
iii. Developing Rapport: Before starting the interview, the interviewer should
establish a friendly relationship with the respondent.

39
Rajendra K. Sharma, Sociological Methods and Techniques (New Delhi, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors,
1997), 310 – 311.

9
 iv. Carrying the Interview Forward: After establishing rapport, the technical task of
asking questions from the interview schedule starts. This task requires care, self-
restraint, alertness and ability to listen with understanding, respect and curiosity.
v. Recording: It is essential to record responses as they take place. If the note taking
is done after the interview, a good deal of relevant information may be lost. It should
be complete verbatim. The responses should not be summarized or paraphrased.
vi. Closing the Interview: After the interview is over, take leave off the respondent,
thanking him/her with a smile.
vii. Editing: At the close of the interview, the interviewer must edit the schedule to
check that s/he has asked all the questions and recorded all the answers and there is
no inconsistency between answers. Abbreviations in recording must be replaced by
full words. The interviewer must ensure that everything is legible.
The above steps make interview practical and productive.40

Conclusion
Interviews is an essential research tool, offering valuable insight into participants’ views and
experiences. Structured interviews ensure uniformity, semi-structured interviews combine
flexibility with comparability, and unstructured interviews allow in-depth exploration of
personal narratives. The choice of method depends on the research aims and context.
Regardless of format, successful interviews require preparation, ethical care, and strong
communication skills. When used effectively, they generate rich data that can deepen both
academic and practical understanding.

Bibliography
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John Wiley and Sons, 1976.
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Daniel, P. Sam and Aroma G. Sam, Research Methodology. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, 2010.
Flick, Uwe. Introducing Research Methodology. New Delhi: Sage, 2015.
Guthrie, Gerard. Basic Research Methods: An Entry to Social Science Research. New Delhi:
Sage, 2010.

40
O. R. Krishnaswami and M. Ranganatham, Methodology of Research in Social Sciences, 187 – 191.

10
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Herbert, Martin. Planning a Research Project: A Guide for Practitioners and Trainees in the
Helping Professions. London: Continuum International Publishing Group,
1990.
Iyadurai, Joshua. Social Research Methods. Chennai: Marina Centre for Interdisciplinary
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Klenke, Karin. Qualitative Research in the Study of Leadership. Bingley: Emeral Group
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Krishnaswami, O. R. and M. Ranganatham. Methodology of Research in Social Sciences.
Bangalore: Himalaya Publishing House, 2015.
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Sjoberg, Gideon and Roger Nett. A Methodology for Social Research. New Delhi: Rawat
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11