Deep Interview – a method of collecting information through a conversation with the respondent on a pre-prepared list of questions. This conversation is very similar to a traditional journalistic interview - a lengthy conversation on some topic in order to reveal the attitude of the interviewee, his personal opinion on some issue. Often such an interview is conducted with representatives of those segments of the population that are difficult to collect for a collective interview (in our case – with media owners and founders, editors-in-chief, publishers or journalists who have reached certain heights of skill).

In-depth interview questions are also developed on the basis of a system analysis of the research object. However, they are not as rigid as in the face-to-face survey. The researcher, rather, fixes for himself the main directions of the conversation that need to be touched upon, and a number of questions that need to be answered. Here the interviewee acts as an active participant in the study, he can influence the course of the conversation, direct the conversation in a certain direction. Therefore, good preparation of the interviewer is important, who must be able to creatively respond to the development of the conversation: correct some questions, formulate new topics as the development progresses, keep the interviewee within the framework of the problem, prevent him from being distracted from the main subject of the conversation, and so on.

It should be borne in mind that although a small number of people are interviewed in the study by the method of in-depth interviews - sometimes there are only three or four of them - there are difficulties when using this method. Firstly, the respondents are people who have achieved a certain position in society, and they, as a rule, are often busy and it is not always possible to obtain their consent for an interview. Secondly, conducting in-depth interviews is much more difficult than interviewing people in a formalized way. questionnaire. In addition, people who are related to journalism and often have their own understanding of how to conduct an interview act as interlocutors. Meanwhile, a sociological interview, with all its outward similarities, differs from a journalistic one. It is regulated by the goals and objectives, the research program, which means that it involves the collection of certain information on specific issues. In this regard, the "professional vision" of the respondent may act as an obstacle to the conversation. Thirdly, the results of in-depth interviews are much more difficult to process. In fact, all questions in an in-depth interview are open-ended, so they need to be further grouped, and then processed. When analyzing the results of in-depth interviews, they reflect the opinions and positions of respondents on a particular issue.

What are in-depth interviews?

Depth (in-depth) interviews- This is an individual conversation, conducted according to a predetermined scenario. In-Depth Interview involves receiving detailed answers from the respondent to questions, rather than filling out a formal questionnaire. Although the interviewer follows a general outline of the interview, the order of the questions and their wording can vary significantly depending on what the respondent says. Using in-depth interview method the respondent's statements are not influenced by others (as happens, for example, in focus groups).

In-Depth Interviews are based on the use of techniques that encourage respondents to lengthy and detailed discussions on a range of issues of interest to the researcher. This allows you to get to the smallest details, to find out all aspects of the behavior and reactions of respondents that may be important for solving the research problems. Holding in-depth interview requires a very high qualification of the interviewer. The interview is conducted in person in the absence of strangers, or by telephone, if this is allowed by the nature of the study.

In-Depth Interview can last from 30 minutes to 3-4 hours, depending on the objectives of the study and the characteristics of the respondent. Most often, in-depth interviewing involves interviewing one person, but there are modifications of this methodwhen 2 or 3 respondents take part in the conversation. The conversation is recorded on audio or videotape. The recording is processed, as a result of which the researcher receives the text of the entire interview (“transcript”). Based on the transcript, an analytical report is written. Video recording is also used to take into account the non-verbal reactions of respondents in the analysis.

The respondent, as a rule, receives a gift as a reward for participating in a long conversation. Among personal interviews this method in-depth interviews is the most expensive.

The sample size depends on the research objectives and the research budget. As a rule, within the framework of one study, at least 20-30 in-depth interviews.

Comparison of in-depth interviews and focus groups

When is an in-depth interview better than a focus group?

Individual in-depth interviews more preferred than group discussions, in the following cases:

• the topic is difficult to discuss and requires specific knowledge (interviews with experts/professionals).
• it is necessary to conduct interviews with competitors (they will not talk about the subject of research during group discussions).
• a deep understanding of complex social roles is needed, or it is necessary to turn to the biography of the respondent, an analysis of a single case, in order to identify possible factors that influenced the formation of his ideas.
• the topic touches upon the deeply personal, intimate experiences of the respondents, which are not possible to discuss in a wide circle (for example, a survey of people with various diseases regarding the choice of a medical institution).
• within one society there are unspoken prohibitions on discussing any problems.
• the topic is “acute”, provoking a high level of group pressure: if the respondent is under strong pressure from social norms, he can easily change his point of view in accordance with the opinion of the majority or even avoid expressing his true opinion (for example, social problems such as drug addiction or prostitution, paying taxes, serving in the military).
• respondents are small and geographically distant from each other (for example, in the case of a survey of government officials in different regions).
• the respondents are responsible officials, very rich, and just very busy people.

Advantages of the in-depth interview technique

What are the benefits of in-depth interviews?

• Obtaining longitudinal information for each respondent (purchase process; stages of decision-making);
• full representation of both "majority" and "minority" opinions due to the absence of the influence of dominant personalities and problems associated with group processes;
• the possibility of discussing intimate or purely personal topics;
• absence psychological pressure from the people of his circle;
• overcoming certain difficulties of recruiting;
• overcoming the tendency to express widely held, socially acceptable points of view;
• the possibility of a more fractional segmentation of the population of respondents in comparison with group discussions.

The content of the work using the "in-depth interview" technique

• determination of the purpose, object and subject of research;
• preparation of the conversation script;
• selection of respondents for in-depth interviews;
• conducting in-depth interviews;
• processing of interview results;
• analytical description of the research results;
• preparing of report.

The survey method "in-depth interviews" is an unstructured type of personal interview in which a specialist high qualifications, in a long confidential conversation, one-on-one interrogates the respondent. During an in-depth interview, topics can be very different, the interviewer seeks to find out all the emotions, beliefs and point of view of the respondent regarding the problem that is the focus of attention. As a rule, a group survey does not allow this. The difference between this form of interview is in a personal conversation, to give an opportunity to freely discuss various questions, without bystanders who may influence the respondent or cause his constraint.

The main purposes for which such an interview is used:

Features of the in-depth interview

The main three types of in-depth interviews are:

Individual in-depth interview reveals everything hidden

An in-depth interview is an effective method of obtaining information in such cases:

Deep Interview – a method of collecting information through a conversation with the respondent on a pre-prepared list of questions. This conversation is very similar to a traditional journalistic interview - a lengthy conversation on some topic in order to reveal the attitude of the interviewee, his personal opinion on some issue. Often such an interview is conducted with representatives of those segments of the population that are difficult to collect for a collective interview (in our case – with media owners and founders, editors-in-chief, publishers or journalists who have reached certain heights of skill).

In-depth interview questions are also developed on the basis of a system analysis of the research object. However, they are not as rigid as in the face-to-face survey. The researcher, rather, fixes for himself the main directions of the conversation that need to be touched upon, and a number of questions that need to be answered. Here the interviewee acts as an active participant in the study, he can influence the course of the conversation, direct the conversation in a certain direction. Therefore, good preparation of the interviewer is important, who must be able to creatively respond to the development of the conversation: correct some questions, formulate new topics as the development progresses, keep the interviewee within the framework of the problem, prevent him from being distracted from the main subject of the conversation, and so on.

It should be borne in mind that although a small number of people are interviewed in the study by the method of in-depth interviews - sometimes there are only three or four of them - there are difficulties when using this method. Firstly, the respondents are people who have achieved a certain position in society, and they, as a rule, are often busy and it is not always possible to obtain their consent for an interview. Secondly, conducting in-depth interviews is much more difficult than interviewing people using a formalized questionnaire. In addition, people who are related to journalism and often have their own understanding of how to conduct an interview act as interlocutors. Meanwhile, a sociological interview, with all its outward similarities, differs from a journalistic one. It is regulated by the goals and objectives, the research program, which means that it involves the collection of certain information on specific issues. In this regard, the "professional vision" of the respondent may act as an obstacle to the conversation. Thirdly, the results of in-depth interviews are much more difficult to process. In fact, all questions in an in-depth interview are open-ended, so they need to be further grouped, and then processed. When analyzing the results of in-depth interviews, they reflect the opinions and positions of respondents on a particular issue.

An in-depth interview is a face-to-face conversation with a respondent based on the interviewer's questions. Despite the fact that interview questions are carefully prepared in advance, the conversation does not have a clear structure, and the researcher must be able to change or turn the course of the interview in the direction he needs. The interview should reveal the true attitude of the respondent to the essence of the issue, his motivations, beliefs, touch and reveal all aspects of the topic. Therefore, an in-depth interview should be conducted by a highly qualified specialist. Using special techniques, he encourages the respondent to provide detailed, detailed, and maximally honest answers.

Depending on the tasks set by the researcher, how extensive the topic of the interview is, as well as on the personal characteristics of the respondent, the time for conducting an in-depth interview can vary from half an hour to several hours. The process itself must be recorded on audio or video. This is done so that even the smallest information is not missed when compiling the analysis. Videotaping is also used to analyze non-verbal moments in a conversation.

The success of an in-depth interview depends on the professional skills of the interviewer. He should not show prejudice, should not “put pressure” on the respondent and influence his opinion. It is difficult to find high-level specialists in this field, so their services are expensive, and in-depth interviews are one of the most cost methods research.

Comparison of in-depth interviews with the focus group method

Both focus groups and in-depth interviews are designed to perform similar tasks: identify a consumer portrait, his behavior and attitude towards brands and manufacturers, search for new areas of product promotion, product evaluation, etc. However, there are research surveys in which it is impossible to work with a group of respondents.

An in-depth interview is used when it concerns the intimate, personal experiences of the respondent, or the topic has a sharp resonance in society - military service, problems of drug addiction and prostitution, when information is required from experts or "narrow" specialists or the opinion of representatives of competing firms. Also, an in-depth interview is preferred if the respondent is a high-ranking official or a very famous person, and the topic of the survey will affect his professional or personal life. Work in focus groups is also impossible because of the geographical remoteness of the respondents.