Patrick Madden

>In-Depth or Qualitative Interviews is a data collection method where individuals are interviewed in a one-on-one setting. These individuals typically 1) have some highly informed perspectives on the subject of study, 2) are interviewed separately instead of in a group and 3) are most often interviewed in person or on the telephone.

Like focus groups, qualitative interviewing is not for collecting information that is representative of the larger population, but rather understanding how and why people think the way they do about a topic.

When conducting qualitative interviews, questions are predominately open-ended rather than closed ended, and are best used for exploring issues or understanding the thinking behind attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. As compared with focus groups, one-on-one interviews eliminate any bias that might be introduced from one respondent to another. They also allow more time for each respondent to talk since there is no competition for airtime. And, they are efficient since it is easier to keep one individual on track than it is a group of people.

Why do one-on-one interviews rather than focus groups?

One-on-one interviews are often used in lieu of focus groups where it is not practical to gather people in one place. For example, it may not be possible to gather a group of doctors together for a focus group. Rather, you have to let the respondents be interviewed at a time and place of their choosing.

This is done by recruiting participants to a central location (at a time that works for them), meeting respondents at a location that is appropriate for them (or a location they are likely to be found), or in some cases, interviewed over the phone. As with focus groups, they are especially effective when things must be seen or touched, etc. in order to be evaluated. Testing products and communications materials are often done with this method.

When conducted by an interviewer that is skilled in asking open-ended questions and able to build rapport quickly, they can provide information that is difficult to obtain by any other means.

The Most Important Part of a Qualitative Interview: The Interviewer

Unlike your average survey interviewer, those who conduct qualitative interviews have to perform many of the same functions as a focus group moderator. Interviewers must be able to quickly build rapport with the respondent, engage them in a discussion, and still ask the desired questions.

Obviously, this requires a more highly skilled (and compensated) interviewer. Qualitative interviews are highly dependent on the skill and training of the interviewer to develop a conversation and to avoid biasing the answers. A skillful interviewer can skillfully probe respondents while in a discussion to get incredibly in-depth and revealing information.

On the flip side, qualitative interviews are time consuming to conduct and strenuous for the interviewers. In addition, analysis and reporting are very time-consuming. Interviews are often recorded and transcribed and copious notes are taken by interviewer. The result is an analysis and reporting process that looks very much like the one used for focus groups, which is time consuming but can produce very detailed and informative information.

Money, Money, Money

Of course, all this one-on-one time gets expensive. Instead of gathering a group of people together in a room for 2 hours, qualitative interviews require that an interviewer sit down with individual respondents for 20, 30, even 60 minutes at a time to conduct a survey. Like focus groups, respondents are often paid an incentive for their time. And analysis and reporting of qualitative interviews requires someone to comb through hours of recordings, transcriptions or notes. Be prepared for sticker shock when you get a quote for qualitative interviews.

Executive Interviews

Executive Interviews are simply one-on-one interviews conducted with senior level respondents, such as business owners. This is the best way to interview senior decision-makers and important stakeholders.

Since these respondents are generally very busy, it is nearly impossible to bring them together in a focus group and often they will not spend the time on a paper or telephone survey. Visiting them on their terms and at a time that is convenient to them is often the best way to get their input. All of the advantages and disadvantages of one-on-one interviews apply. In addition, it is critical that interviewers not just be experienced and effectively trained, but they must be able to relate to senior level executives as peers. This is especially important since the interviewer will in some ways be representing the client. Since these interviewers must be senior themselves, and since they must travel to conduct the interviews, fees reflect these additional costs.