Differences between structured and semi-structured interviews, advantages of semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis of friendship themes in university

This article discusses the differences between structured and semi-structured interviews, advantages of semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis of friendship themes in university. The analysis used in this research was thematic, and the interviewee provided responses to questions asked in a semi-structured interview. The themes identified through qualitative coding included commonalities and support.

Section 1
a) Differences between a structured and semi-structured interview
A structured interview refers to a type of interview in which the interviewer asks a particular set
of questions that have already been set. All respondents in the interview will answer the same
questions, making it easy comparing responses from the interviewees.
A semi structured interview is a type of interview in which the interviewees are asked questions
of which some are predetermined while the rest are not set in advance. With this type of
interview, respondents can provide their views regarding to the pre-set questions and the ones
that are not predetermined.
b) Advantage of using a semi structured interview
They provide for objective comparisons of candidates and also allow individual respondents to
explore individual and specific responses from the interviewees.
c) Advantage of a structured interview.
It is easy to compare responses from interviewees as they are expected to respond to same set of
questions.
d) An example of a semi structured question
Do you think that the US is being led in the right path? If yes, what strategies have been put in
place?

Section 2: Thematic analysis
a) This research aimed to find out friendship themes in the university. Based on the
objective, the following research question guided the study;
What are some of the friendship themes in the university?
Data used to answer the research question were gathered by administering a semi structured
interview, and allowed the participant to respond to the questions at length. The interviewee is
referred to as Louise.
b) Two themes that can be identified from the transcript are support and commonalities.
i) Support
When asked what she needed friends for, Louise responds in line 177 that she needed friends for
support.
INT: What do you need friends for?
LOU: Like support, someone to rely on and trust and just someone to have a good time with
and spend your life with really isn’t it, like I’d rather spend my life with someone than on my
own, so it’s quite important to me.
She further goes on to state that she needed support from friends when she was coming to the
university. Louis stated that in their flat in the university, whenever one of them woke ahead of
the other friends, they would wake each other up for breakfast. This justifies that indeed support
is a great theme of friendship.

ii) Commonalities
In line 2, Louise makes clear his thoughts that she feared going to the university as she feared
being lonely and making no friends. Back at home, she states that they are really close.
LOU: Cause I wasn’t gunna, I changed my mind about going to uni over summer and then I got
a summer job and I really didn’t like it, it was not where I want to be at all, and I thought the
only way I’m gunna get to where I wanna be is if I go to uni, but I was just scared of being
lonely I think more than anything, cause we are really close back home.
Louise also states that she has stayed in touch with friends with whom they went to the same
college with.
LOU: Yeah, so it was really good and there’s a couple of people from school like it’s a group of lads
who we’ve kept in touch with as well so they’re like really close friends, but it goes to show you
when you move on who your friends are cause they’re the people who wanna stay in touch and
who make the effort to see you, and you make the effort to see them and it makes you realise, it’s
like a …
This is an implication that it is easier making friends with people whom we have commonalities
with.
c) How the analysis and approach used relates back to the research question.
The analysis used in this research was thematic. The interviewee provided responses to questions
asked in a semi-structured interview. The semi-structured interview ensured that the respondent
was not restricted on their answering of questions. Louise therefore talked her mind out on her
university life experience and how friendship really helped her cope up.

Qualitative coding was necessary in order to perform analysis and draw meaningful inferences
from the interviewee’s responses. Interesting aspects in the data items formed basis for themes
across the data set. The themes identified through included commonalities, support, comfort and
companionship.