When you want to gather detailed information about people's impressions, experiences, ideas, and attitudes, interviews are often the best method. Face-to-face or telephone conversations yield rich information, and are a good way to understand complex topics.

Conversations with a person or group. There are several types of interviews. All of them can take place with individuals or groups. You may conduct a structured interview with a series of pre-set questions and answers from which the participants choose. A semi-structured interview uses pre-set questions, but allows people to answer them in their own way.

Unstructured interviews rely on a general idea of the types of questions you want to ask, but use no predetermined phrasing or order. A computer-mediated conversation, such as an online chat, is another form of interview.

Ways to gather and record opinions and experiences. Having a record of the conversation allows for thorough and accurate analysis and interpretation. This may involve the interviewer taking notes by hand or on laptop computers. The interview sessions may also be recorded with audio or video equipment. It is good practice to ask participants before the interview if you may record the interview.

Collecting and recording complex responses. Engaging in a conversation with one or more people is an effective way to gather information about their experiences, opinions, attitudes, needs, and ideas about your project.

Encouraging full discussions and explanations. Interviews allow the interviewer and participant to have full discussions of the questions being asked and answers being provided. This give-and-take yields rich, detailed information.

Promoting active involvement. Effective interviews encourage participation, establish rapport, and capture observations of non-verbal behavior.

Greater time and expense. Interviews are often more expensive and time consuming to conduct than other information-gathering processes.

High level of involvement. Interviews require considerable commitment and involvement of the participants.

Skilled interviewer needed. Training is required to conduct good interviews. Unstructured interviews, in particular, demand special skills.

Higher cost of analysis. Transcription and analysis of interview data can be complex, time consuming, and expensive.

Doyle, J. K. "Chapter 11: Introduction to Interviewing Techniques," in "Handbook for IQP Advisors and Students". http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/IGSD/IQPHbook/ch11.html#11 [Retrieved June 11, 2003]

Fowler, F. J. (1990). Standardized Survey Interviewing: Minimizing Interviewer-Related Error. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Goldman, A. and S. McDonald (1987). The Group Depth Interview: Principles and Practices. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Rubin, H. and I. Rubin (1995). Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Seidman, I. E. (1998). Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences, 2nd ed. New York: Teacher's College Press.

Steinar, K. (1996). Interviews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Survey Research Center (1983). General Interviewing Techniques: A Self-Instructional Workbook for Telephone and Personal Interviewer Training. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: Survey Research Center.