Advantages of different types of interviews

Interviews and their different methods of delivery also have advantages of their own. This section will introduce the most common types of interviews and their advantages.

Focus groups

Focus group interviews can be advantageous because of the non-verbal communication they offer such as body language and facial expressions that come from interacting in groups. Focus groups give information through the interaction between participants. They produce rich perspectives as participants comment and build upon each other’s answers. Focus groups also provide a safe space for those who feel more at ease expressing themselves in a group setting.

Face-to-face interviews

In-person interviews are particularly advantageous in qualitative research because they offer an additional layer of information as the researcher can see non-verbal communication such as gestures, and body expressions. This provides insight into the participant’s feelings and reactions to questions or themes. This presents a great advantage compared to methods that use verbal communication solely because it adds complexity to the answers and emotions are more transparent. Face-to-face interviews also offer a faster establishment of rapport and trust and interviewers can adapt the interviews based on verbal responses.

Telephone interviews

When it comes to bridging distances, telephone interviews are among the best. They bridge distance and provide direct communication, which can sometimes impede if a person is far away from the interviewer or if access to the internet is scarce. It can also provide a safe space for those who do not feel comfortable sharing information in person due to sensitive issues. They are also cost-effective and scheduling and

Email interviews

Asynchronous communication is one of the key advantages of email interviews. They are also low-pressure for introverted participants who rather not do an interview face-to-face. In a similar way to telephone interviews, email interviews bridge distances and help diversify the pool of participants. They are also useful when the language is different from the interviewer as the use of translators can open communication doors.

Case studies with successful interviews

Here are some real cases where the advantages of interviews played a crucial role in the success of qualitative research:

Gender construction research

In Becoming a Gendered Body: Practices of Preschools (Martin, 1998), data was collected through direct observations and semi-structured in-person interviews. Over 50 hours of observation were conducted in five preschool classrooms, where Martin documented daily activities, interactions, and routines, paying close attention to how gendered behaviours were enacted and encouraged by both teachers and students. She observed how children were expected to sit, play, and move differently based on their gender, revealing the subtle ways in which gender norms were reinforced in early childhood education.

To complement these observations, Martin conducted semi-structured interviews with preschool teachers, exploring their perspectives on gender and the practices they used in the classroom. These interviews provided rich qualitative data on how teachers understood their role in promoting or challenging gender norms. By combining observational data with interviews, Martin was able to offer a comprehensive analysis of how gender is socially constructed and reinforced in preschool settings.

The ‘Up Series’ documentary films

The Up series is a groundbreaking British documentary film project that follows the lives of fourteen individuals from different social backgrounds in the United Kingdom, beginning in 1964 when they were seven years old. The series was conceived by Granada Television and initially directed by Paul Almond, with subsequent installments directed by Michael Apted, who continued the project until he died in 2021. The premise of the series is rooted in the idea that social class and circumstances could predict the future of these children, encapsulated in the Jesuit saying, “Give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man.”

Every seven years, a new installment of the series has been released, documenting the participants’ lives as they navigate various stages of life—childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and middle age.

In the Up Series, data collection was done through a longitudinal documentary approach, where in-depth,semi-structured in-person interviews were conducted with the same group of participants every seven years. The series also collects visual and behavioural data by video-documenting the participants in their everyday environments, providing insights into their social and economic conditions.

Challenges faced by women in career progression

In 2020, Goriss-Hunter and White conducted a study using asynchronous email interviews to investigate the career experiences of women at an Australian regional university. The researchers gathered data from 21 participants, including both academic and professional staff, by asking open-ended questions about career barriers and enablers. The results indicated that participants faced significant challenges, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Themes such as limited access to professional development, gendered workplace expectations, and work-life balance struggles were prominent. The flexibility of email interviews allowed participants to respond in their own time, facilitating in-depth reflections (Goriss-Hunter & White, 2020).

Conclusion

Interviews are a valuable data collection method in qualitative research due to their ability to provide deep, rich data. They allow for exploring complex issues, offer a participant-centred approach, and are sensitive to cultural and social contexts. Interviews facilitate the development of new theories and emphasize the process through which participants make sense of their experiences. They are also particularly effective for capturing personal narratives and offer flexibility in questioning, making them adaptable to the flow of conversation.

Interviews also allow for the triangulation of data when used alongside other methods and can provide longitudinal insights when conducted over time. They enable researchers to approach sensitive topics ethically, ensuring confidentiality and support for participants. Additionally, interviews can uncover tacit knowledge—insights that are deeply embedded in participants’ experiences but not easily articulated. Overall, interviews are a versatile and powerful method for understanding complex human experiences and social phenomena.

References

Martin, K. A. (1998). Becoming a gendered body: Practices of preschools. American Sociological Review, 63(4), 494–511. https://doi.org/10.2307/2657264
Goriss-Hunter, A., White, K. Using email interviews to reflect on women’s careers at a regional university. Aust. Educ. Res. 51, 651–665 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00617-9