An interview with some standardised questions but allowing flexibility on what is asked in what order.

An interview with some standardised questions but allowing flexibility on what is asked in what order.

• A. Telephone questionnaire
• B. Structured interview
• C. Semi-structured interview
• D. Unstructured interview

Answer: (C)

This question tests how interviews balance consistency with flexibility. A semi-structured interview uses a core set of questions to ensure you cover the same topics across different interviews, giving some comparability. At the same time, the interviewer can reorder questions, skip or add items, and probe deeper based on what the respondent says. That mix—some standard questions plus freedom in order and in follow-up—best matches the description. By contrast, a fully structured interview sticks to every question in a fixed order with predetermined responses, leaving little room for improvisation; an unstructured interview has almost no predefined questions and is more like a free-flowing conversation; a telephone questionnaire is typically a standardized set delivered by phone, with limited opportunity for probing.

This question tests how interviews balance consistency with flexibility. A semi-structured interview uses a core set of questions to ensure you cover the same topics across different interviews, giving some comparability. At the same time, the interviewer can reorder questions, skip or add items, and probe deeper based on what the respondent says. That mix—some standard questions plus freedom in order and in follow-up—best matches the description. By contrast, a fully structured interview sticks to every question in a fixed order with predetermined responses, leaving little room for improvisation; an unstructured interview has almost no predefined questions and is more like a free-flowing conversation; a telephone questionnaire is typically a standardized set delivered by phone, with limited opportunity for probing.