Interview schedule face to face – UGC NET Question

An interview schedule is a structured or semi-structured list of questions that the interviewer uses while interacting directly with respondents, either face-to-face or by phone. It ensures that similar information is obtained from all participants while still allowing for clarification when needed. The interviewer records responses during the interaction. Because the stem refers to a set of questions administered by the researcher in personal contact, it is describing an interview schedule.

Option A:
A mailed questionnaire is a self-administered instrument sent to respondents, who complete it on their own without an interviewer present. While it also consists of a set of questions, it does not involve face-to-face or telephone administration. Thus, mailed questionnaire does not match the description in the stem.

Option B:
An interview schedule provides a framework for the interviewer to follow, helping maintain consistency across interviews and reducing the chance of omitting key topics. It is specifically designed for situations in which the researcher directly asks questions and records answers. This is exactly the situation described in the question, so interview schedule is the correct answer.

Option C:
A checklist is a list of behaviours, attributes or items on which the observer records the presence or absence of each element, often in observational studies. It is not primarily a set of questions to be asked verbally to respondents. Therefore, checklist is not the best completion here.

Option D:
An observation schedule contains categories and guidelines for systematically recording behaviours or events as they occur in natural or controlled settings. It is used when the researcher observes rather than questions participants. Since the stem focuses on asking questions face-to-face or by phone, observation schedule is not appropriate.