Interviews

Interviews are a common method used by anthropologists to collect data and gain insights into the experiences, beliefs, and perspectives of the people they are studying. In an interview, the anthropologist asks a series of questions to a participant and records their responses. This can be done in person or over the phone and may be structured (with a set list of pre-determined questions), semi-structured (with a list of pre-determined questions and open-ended), or unstructured (with more open-ended questions that allow the participant to guide the conversation). Interviews are an important tool for anthropologists because they allow researchers to gain first-hand accounts of people’s experiences and perspectives, providing valuable insights that may not be observable through other methods.