Types of interviews – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B and C correctly distinguish the main interview types: structured (fixed questions), unstructured (high flexibility) and semi-structured (a mix of standardised questions and probes). Statement D is false because structured interviews are often used in quantitative surveys, and E is false because unstructured interviews are well known for yielding rich narratives. Therefore, the option including A, B and C alone is correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it summarises the three key interview formats without endorsing the restrictive or inaccurate claims in D and E. It highlights the continuum from structure to flexibility.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes D, which wrongly limits structured interviews to qualitative work, ignoring their common use in survey research. This erroneous statement makes the combination invalid.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it accepts E, which denies the rich narrative potential of unstructured interviews, and omits A, thereby not explicitly recognising the fixed nature of structured interviews.

Option D:
Option D includes D and thus repeats the mistake that structured interviews cannot support quantitative analysis, even though they often generate standardised data suited to statistical treatment.