On this page you will find our recommendations for creating an interview protocol for both structured and semi-structured interviews. Your protocol can be viewed as a guide for the interview: what to say at the beginning of the interview to introduce yourself and the topic of the interview, how to collect participant consent, interview questions, and what to say when you end the interview.

These tips have been adapted from Jacob and Furgerson’s (2012) guide to writing interview protocols and conducting interviews for those new to qualitative research. Your protocol may have more questions if you are planning a structured interview. However, it may have fewer and more open-ended questions if you are planning a semi-structured interview, in order to allow more time for participants to elaborate on their responses and for you to ask follow-up questions.

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References

Jacob, S. A., & Furgerson, S. P. (2012). Writing Interview Protocols and Conducting Interviews: Tips for Students New to the Field of Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report, 17(2), 1-10.

Welch, C., & Piekkari, R. (2006). Crossing Language Boundaries:. Management International Review, 46, 417-437. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11575-006-0099-1.pdf