Unstructured Interview Essay

Question 1:
The credibility of a research is impacted by the methods in which the findings from semi-structured interview are presented (Low, 2013, p. 98). Although unstructured interviews are an effective method to utilize when gathering data about individuals, it is at a disadvantage when it comes to capturing what those individuals do. On the other hand, semi-structured interviews – such as the one in this research study – have numerous advantages. Firstly, they are cost-effective and can amass a large amount of data in little to no time (Low, 2013, p.88). This can be seen in the transcript where the interviewer was able to ask numerous questions (approximately eleven) within a short time-frame and gain valuable information from the responses of the respondent.
Johnson noted that another advantage of semi-structured interviews is the ability in which it “gives informants more power in research and control over what gets discussed in the interviews and how it gets discussed” (as cited in Low, 2013, p.89). An example of this can be seen

What sort of things do you think you are going to need to get you to the point where you can go home? R: I think I need to be quite confident in standing up and moving about. I’ll be very concerned if I went home and I couldn’t stand up, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t go to the toilet. That would really be very difficult for me. Particularly as I live in a flat, second floor flat in the city centre. And I am quite distant from the shops as well. So that sort of thing would worry me I think. So I would want, I would really like to know that I would be confident of managing these things when I go out. I know it is going to be difficult initially, when I am aware of that. But they are the sort of things that worries me at this moment in time. I: Who would you talk to about those worries on this particular ward?” (University of the West of England,