"Researchers argue that 'interviews', produce masses of information, which may neither be valid nor reliable". In the context of this statement, discuss advantages and disadvantages of Interview as a tool of data collection.

→ Commonly used in sociological research eg: M.N. Srinivas, Andre Beteille have all used interviews to complement their field studies. → Interviews can be of two types - a) Structured Interview: Where the interviewer has some preset questions and sticks to that format b) Unstructured Interviews: These are more conversational and scope can change during the process of interview.

ADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEWS

1. It is possible to clarify the meaning wherever required. This enhances the quality of data obtained.
2. Validity is higher compared to other quantitative techniques like questionnaire and survey.
3. It is a cost effective method that gives higher response rate compared to postal/email questions.

DISADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEWS

1. Reliability lower. Depends on the rapport the interviewer has with the responder.
2. Time consuming
3. Language barriers and prone to misinterpretations
4. There can be issues of ecological validity where the responder

gives superficial answers that are not true just to meet social norms.

Thus, while it is true that interviews produce masses of information which may neither be valid nor reliable, it does give data that is closest to the reality.

Interviews can be used for both qualitative as well as quantitative research by carefully parsing the information on Likert scale.

The shortcomings can be overcome by careful design of questions, maintaining neutrality while asking questions, etc.

Thus, interviews are an indispensable technique of data collection for sociological research.