Unstructured Interview:
Definition, Types, Uses & Benefits

An unstructured interview is a data collection method in which the questions or the order they are asked are not predetermined. Instead, the interviewer asks open-ended questions and relies on the participants' answers to proceed with the interview and collect detailed data on the research topic. This flexible approach flows naturally like everyday conversation, allowing the researcher to explore topics that emerge spontaneously while maintaining focus on the research objectives.

Unstructured interviews are generally flexible, informal, and qualitative in nature. Although there are no predetermined questions, the interview remains purposeful as the interviewer controls the conversation to ensure the participant stays on the research topic and provides relevant information. This method requires the interviewer to have detailed knowledge about the topic of study and skilled questioning abilities to adjust the conversation's direction effectively.

Related terms: non-directive interview, open-ended interview, in-depth interview, ethnographic interview

The differences between structured, semi-structured, and unstructured interviews lie in their definition, question type, number of questions, interview sequence, and uses. A structured interview uses predetermined standardized questions in a preset order, while an unstructured interview has no prearranged questions or fixed sequence. Semi-structured interviews fall between these two approaches, with some questions predetermined while others are not.

In structured interviews, the number of questions is preset and the interviewer follows a script. However, the number of questions in semi-structured and unstructured interviews is not fixed. Structured interviews often utilize closed-ended questions that limit participants' responses to predefined answers, while semi-structured and unstructured interviews utilize open-ended questions that allow participants to provide free-form answers in their own words.

The interview sequence differs significantly across these formats. Structured interviews follow a preset order when asking questions, while there is no pre-set sequence in semi-structured and unstructured interviews as the interviewer relies on the respondent's answers to ask more questions. Structured interviews are predominantly used by researchers conducting quantitative studies to validate results, while unstructured and semi-structured interviews are used in qualitative studies to explore participants' thoughts and beliefs about the topic under investigation.

Unstructured interviews rely on three main types of questions that encourage detailed, exploratory responses. Introducing questions are used to kickstart the interview and include prompts such as "Can you tell me about...?" or "Do you remember an occasion when...?" These questions establish the initial direction of the conversation.

Probing questions are used to get a more detailed narrative and include follow-ups like "Could you say something about that?" or "Do you have further examples of this?" These questions allow the interviewer to delve deeper into topics that emerge during the conversation.

Interpreting questions are used to rephrase an interviewee's answer to clarify the information provided. Examples include "Is it correct that you feel that...?" or "Does the expression (...) cover what you have just said?" These questions ensure accurate understanding and minimize misinterpretation of participants' responses.

Unstructured interviews offer 5 key advantages that make them valuable for qualitative research:

• Unstructured interviews are highly flexible, allowing the researcher to develop rapport with the participant and obtain quality insights into their beliefs, thoughts, perceptions, and experiences
• They flow like natural conversation, helping participants feel more comfortable and at ease sharing their personal experiences
• They minimize misrepresentation and misinterpretation of participants' responses as the interviewer can ask probing and interpreting questions to clarify comments
• They allow researchers to understand why people behave or react in certain ways, making them useful for studies involving complex and sensitive matters
• They enable the discovery of unexpected or unique responses, providing valuable insights that may not have been obtained through structured interviews

The conversational nature of unstructured interviews creates a relaxed atmosphere where participants tend to provide rich, detailed stories that offer context about their experiences. This depth of information can reveal patterns and meanings that more rigid interview formats might miss.

Unstructured interviews have 5 main disadvantages that researchers must consider:

• They require more time and financial resources than structured interviews, especially when involving large samples or requiring travel to different geographical localities
• They are more susceptible to interviewer bias since the interviewer controls the flow of the interview and may inadvertently influence responses through their own biases or preconceptions
• Comparing and analyzing data generated from different interviews can be challenging as participants provide answers in their own words and lived experiences differ from one participant to another
• They generally apply to small samples due to their time-consuming nature, limiting their generality and reliability
• They can be difficult to keep on track, with the risk that tangents and side questions can derail research objectives and decrease internal validity

The lack of standardization in unstructured interviews makes it challenging to identify common themes or patterns across different interviewees. This can lead to various types of research bias, including observer bias, demand characteristics, social desirability bias, recall bias, and the Hawthorne effect. Researchers must be vigilant about remaining objective throughout the interview process.

Unstructured interviews are most appropriate in 4 specific research contexts:

• When you are an experienced interviewer with a strong background in your research topic, as conducting unstructured interviews requires skill in asking spontaneous, relevant questions
• When your research question is exploratory in nature and you are open to discovering new or shifting viewpoints through the interview process
• When you are seeking descriptive data and are ready to ask questions that will deepen and contextualize your initial thoughts and hypotheses
• When your research depends on forming connections with participants and making them feel comfortable revealing deeper emotions, thoughts, or lived experiences

Unstructured interviews are particularly valuable for research on sensitive or traumatic subjects where building trust and rapport is essential. They are also useful when studying topics that have not been extensively researched, allowing for maximum coverage of the subject area and generating interesting leads or new ideas that structured formats might not uncover.

Preparing for an unstructured interview requires extensive planning despite the lack of predetermined questions. Start by setting clear research goals and establishing what you are trying to learn or achieve from the interview. Consider why an unstructured interview is the best fit for your research as opposed to other interview types or research methods.

Develop a strong understanding of your research topic and brainstorm categories of questions you may ask. You can start with one broad, overarching question and consider what paths the conversation could take. Write yourself a guide with notes about your topic and what you're seeking to investigate, so you have reference points during the interview.

Assemble your participants using appropriate sampling methods such as voluntary response sampling, stratified sampling, or convenience sampling. Decide ahead of time whether your interview will be conducted in-person, over the phone, or via video conferencing. Prepare informed consent procedures, including consent to audio or video recording, confidentiality agreements, and agreements to anonymize or pseudonymize data.

Analyzing unstructured interviews involves 4 systematic steps:

1. Transcribe your interview recordings by creating a written copy of the interview. Decide whether to use verbatim transcription (including fillers, hesitations, and laughter) or intelligent verbatim transcription (excluding fillers and fixing grammar issues)
2. Organize and code the interview transcripts by reading through them thoroughly and identifying themes that come up repeatedly. Collapse these into categories and label them to understand relationships between them
3. Analyze your data after coding by uncovering meaningful insights and drawing correlations. Take either an inductive approach (letting data determine themes) or a deductive approach (investigating whether data confirm preconceived themes)
4. Report your findings by combining them into a research paper with methodology, discussion, and results sections that describe your data collection process and showcase your argument

Due to the open-ended nature of unstructured interviews, thematic analysis is most commonly used rather than content analysis. In thematic analysis, you draw preliminary conclusions about participants through identifying common topics, ideas, or patterns in their responses. You can code data manually or use qualitative data analysis software to make the process more efficient.

Feminist researchers often use unstructured interviews as opposed to more structured formats because they attempt to eliminate power imbalances in the relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee. Pioneered by researcher Ann Oakley, this approach is based on an anti-oppression framework that positions interviews as equal relationships rather than hierarchical ones.

Oakley argues that the form of structured interviews positions the interviewee as subordinate, supporting a masculine paradigm of inquiry that is morally indefensible. As an alternative, she advocates for non-hierarchical relationships where the interviewer is prepared to invest their own personal identity in the research relationship, answering questions and sharing knowledge. This approach maximizes the ability to explore a full account of life experience and challenges stereotypes, oppression, and exploitation.

The principle belief of feminist research is that it must begin with an open-ended exploration of women's experiences, as only from that vantage point is it possible to see how their world is organized and the extent to which it differs from men's experiences. This approach to research is also used to explore life experiences from those belonging to other minority groups, allowing work to be produced that gives voice to marginalized populations.

An unstructured interview is often compared to 3 related qualitative research methods:

Unstructured interview vs. Semi-structured interview: An unstructured interview has no prearranged questions and flows entirely based on participant responses, while a semi-structured interview has some predetermined questions followed by flexible probing questions. Semi-structured interviews provide more consistency for comparison while maintaining some conversational flexibility, whereas unstructured interviews maximize exploratory potential at the cost of standardization.

Unstructured interview vs. Focus group interview: An unstructured interview typically involves one-on-one conversation between interviewer and participant, while a focus group interviews multiple respondents simultaneously to encourage group interaction and discussion. Focus groups can stimulate participants' memory and reveal dimensions that individuals might not consider alone, but they may be affected by group dynamics and social desirability bias.

Unstructured interview vs. Structured interview: An unstructured interview relies on open-ended questions that arise spontaneously, while a structured interview follows a preset list of standardized questions in a fixed order. Structured interviews offer higher reliability and easier comparison across respondents, making them suitable for quantitative research, whereas unstructured interviews provide depth and validity for qualitative exploration of complex topics.