Interviews

An interview is a conversation between an interviewer and a person who has knowledge or experience of the topic. It is a primary research method because it gathers first-hand views or the original words of someone involved.

What interviews are good for

Interviews produce detailed, in-depth answers. You can ask follow-up questions when a reply is unclear or interesting, so you can explore why someone thinks or behaves in a certain way. Because the answers come from an expert or someone directly involved, they give you first-hand views rather than second-hand opinions.

For example, if you are planning a podcast for teenagers, you might interview a youth worker who runs a local club. Their answers can explain what young people actually listen to and why, and you can ask them to expand on a point straight away.

Drawbacks

Interviews are time-consuming: arranging, carrying out and writing up each one takes effort, so you can usually interview only a few people. A small number of interviews may not represent a whole audience.

Some participants might not tell the truth, or might give the answers they believe the person asking would like to hear. The person asking the questions can also sway replies through the wording of questions or by their reactions, which introduces bias. Interview answers are usually descriptive or opinion-based, so they are harder to analyse than numerical data such as percentages or ratings.

Carrying out an interview

Prepare questions before you start, covering the information you need without leading the person. Hold a natural conversation, listen carefully and use follow-ups to clarify answers. Record the answers accurately, for example by taking notes or making an audio recording with permission, so you can analyse them afterwards.