Qualitative/ Data collection

Unstructured interviews

Let participants organise the account

Unstructured interviews begin from a broad topic or invitation and let the participant substantially shape the direction, sequence and detail. Researchers still prepare ethically and theoretically and use attentive prompts. This approach is especially compatible with life histories and exploratory enquiry, but the absence of a fixed guide does not mean the encounter lacks structure or researcher influence.

WHEN IT FITS

Choose this when the participant's own ordering of experience matters and a rigid topic guide could obscure it. Budget time for longer encounters, reflexive memoing and careful narrative or interpretative analysis.

Strengths

Reveals priorities not anticipated by the researcher
Preserves participant-led sequencing and context

Limitations

Cross-participant coverage may be uneven
Highly dependent on listening and prompting skill

Know the boundary

Unstructured does not mean neutral or entirely participant-controlled.

USED ACROSS

Business & MBAPsychologyEducation