the questions to be asked, the wording of the questions, and the sequence in which questions are to be asked. Since responses are not specified in such type of interviews, the respondent can answer the questions in the way s/he chooses to. Such questions are called open-ended questions. For example, if the researcher wants to know about the happiness level of a person, s/he may ask: How happy are you?
The respondent may reply to this question the way s/he chooses to answer. An interview may have the following combinations of participants in an interview situation: (a) Individual to Individual : It is a situation where one interviewer interviews another person. (b) Individual to Group : In this situation, one interviewer interviews a group of persons. One variant of it is called a Focus Group Discussion (FGD).
(c) Group to Individuals : It is a situation where one group of interviewers interview one person. You may experience this type of situation when you appear for a job interview. (d) Group to Group : It is a situation where one group of interviewers interview another group of interviewees. Interviewing is a skill which requires proper training.
A good interviewer knows how to make the respondent at ease and get the optimal answer. S/he remains sensitive to the way a person responds and, if needed, probes for more information. If the respondent gives vague answers, the interviewer may try to get specific and concrete answers. The interview method helps in obtaining in-depth information.
It is flexible and adaptable to individual situations, and can often be used when no other method is possible or adequate. It can be used even with children, and non-literate persons. An interviewer can know whether the respondent understands the questions, and can repeat or paraphrase questions. However, interviews require time.
Often getting information from one person may take an hour or more which may not be cost-effective. Questionnaire Survey The questionnaire is the most common, simple, versatile, and low-cost self-report method of collecting information. It consists of a predetermined set of questions. The respondent has to read the