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Sociology vocabulary · Research Methods

Semi-structured interview

Meaning in sociology, with examples

nounCore term

In sociology, semi-structured interview means: An interview based on a prepared list of topics or questions that the researcher can reorder, rephrase or follow up, so that participants can answer in their own words.

In Turkish: yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme

How it is used

The most common interview type in qualitative sociology. Researchers use an interview guide, record and transcribe the conversation, and then code it. Compare structured interviews (fixed questions in a fixed order) and unstructured interviews (open conversation).

Example sentences

  1. We carried out 30 semi-structured interviews with care workers in Izmir.

  2. Semi-structured interviews gave participants space to raise issues we had not expected.

Common collocations

  • conduct semi-structured interviews
  • in-depth interview
  • interview guide
  • transcribe an interview
  • qualitative researchResearch that collects non-numerical data, such as interviews, observations and texts, to understand people's experiences, meanings and points of view in depth.
  • focus groupA group discussion, usually with six to ten people, led by a researcher to explore their views and experiences and how they talk about a topic together.
  • respondentA person who answers the questions in a survey, questionnaire or interview.
  • surveyA research method that asks a group of people the same set of questions, through a questionnaire or a structured interview, to collect comparable data.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Research Methods

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