Which data collection method tends to produce qualitative data through open-ended responses?

Which data collection method tends to produce qualitative data through open-ended responses?

• A. Postal questionnaire
• B. Structured interview
• C. Telephone questionnaire
• D. Unstructured interview

Answer: (D)

The method that tends to produce qualitative data through open-ended responses is an unstructured interview. In this approach, the conversation has little predefined format, so the respondent can talk at length about their experiences, feelings, and thoughts in their own words. The interviewer asks broad prompts and then follows interesting threads, asks for examples, and probes for clarification. This yields rich, descriptive data that captures meanings and nuances rather than just numerical or fixed answers. By contrast, the other methods usually rely on closed questions or fixed response options, which leads to data that are easier to compare across people but primarily quantitative or easily codable. A structured interview uses the same set of fixed questions in the same order, often with yes/no or rating-scale answers. Questionnaires completed by mail or over the phone typically feature many closed items for quick, standardized analysis.

The method that tends to produce qualitative data through open-ended responses is an unstructured interview. In this approach, the conversation has little predefined format, so the respondent can talk at length about their experiences, feelings, and thoughts in their own words. The interviewer asks broad prompts and then follows interesting threads, asks for examples, and probes for clarification. This yields rich, descriptive data that captures meanings and nuances rather than just numerical or fixed answers.

By contrast, the other methods usually rely on closed questions or fixed response options, which leads to data that are easier to compare across people but primarily quantitative or easily codable. A structured interview uses the same set of fixed questions in the same order, often with yes/no or rating-scale answers. Questionnaires completed by mail or over the phone typically feature many closed items for quick, standardized analysis.