- Research Methods - Discuss the following statement. Unstructured Essay

- Research Methods - Discuss the following statement. Unstructured interviews should only be used as a precursor for a more structured approach to data collection - Essay Example Semi-structured interviews are flexible and they include both open and closed-ended questions but the interviewer adjusts the series of the questions based on the context of responses from the participants. Unstructured interview is a method that elicits the social realities of people; thus it has become widely employed by sociologists and anthropologists in research field process. Unstructured interviews should be only used as a precursor for a more structured approach in data collection in research process. This is because unstructured interviews are best applied for exploration when there is a limited understanding of the domain, or as a precursor to more focused and detailed structured interviews (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009, p. 111). Unstructured interviews do not follow a prearranged schedule or list of questions unlike structured interview which employs a prearranged set of questions. Therefore, they can be used as the precursor of structured interview since this method is similar to survey research methods of data collection and they are administered orally instead of writing. The most significant and widely used unstructured interview originates from the ethnographic practice of anthropologists (Honey and Mumford, 1997, p. 36). Many anthropologists and sociologists employed unstructured interview for gathering information through participant o bservations and record field notes taking as they observe the sidelines and also joins the activities of the participants. Unstructured interviews are effectual because researchers identifies one or more key informants to interview on a continuing basis or take short notes while observing and at the same time questioning participants. This is vital because it provides first hand information and the method attempt to solve difficulties in question interpretations. Bandura in his book of social learning theory argues that people learn