Advantages and disadvantages


	Advatnages and disadvtantages
	Advantages The trained interviewer can explain what the questions mean. With standardized questions, all respondents answer the same questions. Sociologists can compare respondents answers. Any differences are seen as reflecting real differences in their attitudes or opinions. Sociologists can identify connections between different factors (e.g. interviewees attitudes to marriage and their gender). Structured interviews can be replicated or repeated to check reliability of the findings. If the results are consistent the second time round, they are seen reliable. Sociologists can generalize from reliable results taken from a representative sample.	Disadvantages The use of pre-set questions assumes that the sociologist has the skill to decide, before the interview takes place, what questions need to be asked, how to ask them and in what order. Interviewees have few opportunities to raise new issues. The interview effect- in a formal interview setting, interviewees may give answers that are socially acceptable or that show them in a positive light. If the interview bias occurs, the results will not be valid. The interviewer effect- The interviewer's personal or social characteristics (such as their age or class) may influence the interviewees responses. If interviewer bias occurs then the results will be invalid
	Evaluation

The trained interviewer can explain what the questions mean.
With standardized questions, all respondents answer the same questions. Sociologists can compare respondents answers. Any differences are seen as reflecting real differences in their attitudes or opinions.
Sociologists can identify connections between different factors (e.g. interviewees attitudes to marriage and their gender).
Structured interviews can be replicated or repeated to check reliability of the findings. If the results are consistent the second time round, they are seen reliable.
Sociologists can generalize from reliable results taken from a representative sample.

The use of pre-set questions assumes that the sociologist has the skill to decide, before the interview takes place, what questions need to be asked, how to ask them and in what order.
Interviewees have few opportunities to raise new issues.
The interview effect- in a formal interview setting, interviewees may give answers that are socially acceptable or that show them in a positive light. If the interview bias occurs, the results will not be valid.
The interviewer effect- The interviewer's personal or social characteristics (such as their age or class) may influence the interviewees responses. If interviewer bias occurs then the results will be invalid

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