Market research methods

Personal interviews

Personal interviews are semi-structured discussions with an individual. They include open-ended questions where the interviewer can probe further to understand underlying perceptions and behaviours.

Best Uses

Personal interviews are a more expensive alternative to focus groups and are generally used in the following situations:

• The topic is too personal or sensitive to be discussed in a group, or confidentiality of the participant is required.
• A person’s opinion may easily be influenced by others in the group.
• It is as important to learn as much about what people don’t know about a subject, as what they do know. In a group setting, knowledgeable participants may inhibit less knowledgeable ones, making it difficult to explore areas of ignorance or misperception.
• Logistic problems may make groups impractical, for example, participants may be geographically dispersed, and travel time and costs may be prohibitive.
• The interview subjects are executives from competing firms who would be reluctant to open up in a group situation.
• The interview subjects are high-profile executives or decision-makers and it is difficult to schedule group sessions, or it is important that the researcher visit interview subjects individually at their convenience.
• It is important to interview the participant in a particular environment.

Methodological Considerations

• A knowledgeable and experienced interviewer uses an established list of mostly open-ended questions to be asked in person or by telephone.
• The in-depth interview provides participants with considerable latitude in expressing their views.
• Interviews typically last from 15 to 40 minutes, but they can last longer, depending on the participant’s interest in the topic.
• This technique allows the researcher to obtain detailed descriptions of individual experiences.