In-depth interviews are essentially a hybrid
of the one-on-one interview.
Intensive
interviews are unique for these reasons:
• They generally use smaller samples.
• The respondents give specific answers for
reasons with detailed background. Elaborate data are obtained concerning respondents’
opinions, values, motivations, recollections, experiences, and feelings.
• They allow for lengthy observation of respondents’
nonverbal responses.
• They are usually long. Unlike personal interviews
used in survey research that may last only a few minutes, an intensive or in-depth
interview may last several hours and may take more than one session.
• They can be customized to individual respondents.
In a personal interview, all respondents are usually asked the same questions.
Intensive interviews allow interviewers to form questions based on each
respondent’s answers.
• They can be influenced by the interview climate.
To a greater extent than with personal interviews, the success of intensive
interviews depends on the rapport established between the interviewers and the
respondent.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Intensive Interviews
The most important advantage of the in-depth interview
is the wealth of detail that it provides.
Intensive interviewing provides more accurate responses
on sensitive issues. The rapport between respondent and interviewer makes it
easier to approach certain topics that might be taboo (distasteful) in other
approaches.
On the
negative side, intensive interviewing is typically done with a non-random sample.
Since interviews are usually non standardized, each respondent may answer a
slightly different version of a question.
Another
disadvantage of in-depth interviews is that they are especially sensitive to
interviewer bias. In a long interview, it is possible for a respondent to learn
a good deal of information about the interviewer. Despite practice and
training, some interviewers may inadvertently communicate their attitudes
through loaded questions, nonverbal cues, or tone of voice.
The amount of data collected is tremendous, and
analysis may take several weeks to several months.
Interviewees may become tired and bored.
Interviews must be scheduled several hours apart, which lengthens the data
collection effort.
Small samples do not allow for generalization to
the target population.
