Degree of Master of

Unstructured Interviews

CEU eTD Collection
One of the methods for data collection in the present research is conducting unstructured interviews. For the purpose of clarity, the main idea of unstructured interview is introduced and the suitability of this type of interview for the present research is demonstrated.
Unstructured interviews are most useful when the researcher wants to gain an in-depth understanding of a particular phenomenon within a particular cultural context. In addition, they are most appropriate when the researcher is working “within an interpretive research paradigm, in which they would assume that reality is socially constructed by the participants in the setting of interest” (Patton 2002). Based on this underlying assumption, the researcher wants to understand the phenomenon of interest from the individual perspectives of those involved.
Minichiello defines unstructured interviews as interviews in which neither the question nor the answer categories are predetermined. Instead, they rely on social interaction between
the researcher and the informant (Minichiello, Aroni et al. 1990). Punch describes unstructured interviews as a way to understand the complex behavior of people without “imposing any a priori categorization, which might limit the field of inquiry” (Punch 1998). Patton (2002) describes unstructured interviews as a natural extension of participant observation, because they so often occur as part of ongoing participant observation fieldwork.
During the research trip in Moscow, a few unstructured interviews with experts working on water issues in the Central Asian region were conducted. The purpose of these unstructured interviews was to get familiar with the existing relationships between Central Asian countries, namely, between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in terms of regulations on water discharges to the AALS and the main disagreements with regard to present water policy. Another aim of these interviews was important to understand the roots of the current problems and discontent.
The main reasons for choosing unstructured interviews in the present research are the following:

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  good possibility for researcher to generate questions in response to the interviewees’ narration, that results in deeper understanding of the area concerned;
  
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  the researcher’s control over the conversation is intended to be minimal, but nevertheless the researcher tries to encourage the interviewees to relate experiences and perspectives relevant to the problems of interest to the researcher;
  
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  the unstructured interview is especially useful for studies attempting to find patterns, generate models, and implement information system design; in the present case these interviews help to understand patterns of water distribution and water discharges between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
  

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