<P> A structured interview (also known as a standardized interview or a researcher - administered survey) is a quantitative research method commonly employed in survey research . The aim of this approach is to ensure that each interview is presented with exactly the same questions in the same order . This ensures that answers can be reliably aggregated and that comparisons can be made with confidence between sample subgroups or between different survey periods . </P> <P> Structured interviews are a means of collecting data for a statistical survey . In this case, the data is collected by an interviewer rather than through a self - administered questionnaire . Interviewers read the questions exactly as they appear on the survey questionnaire . The choice of answers to the questions is often fixed (close - ended) in advance, though open - ended questions can also be included within a structured interview . </P> <P> A structured interview also standardises the order in which questions are asked of survey respondents, so the questions are always answered within the same context . This is important for minimising the impact of context effects, where the answers given to a survey question can depend on the nature of preceding questions . Though context effects can never be avoided, it is often desirable to hold them constant across all respondents . </P>

1. why is interviewing considered a useful method of data collection in qualitative research