WHY THERE IS IMPORTANCE OF INTERVIEW IN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY?
BY: PIYAR ALI*

The interview has an indispensable role in research methodology. It is also a pragmatic method and behavioral approach for collecting and verification of materials. In interview, researcher has to collect the data from respondent by face-to-face contact and collect the unknown facts. Research has formulated the hypothesis about a particular problem as well as collects information about qualitative facts, attitudes, ideas feelings, views and behaviors of the relevant personalities.
The definition of interview is: “The interview is face to face inter-personal situation in which one person, the interviewer asks a person being interviewed the respondent, questions designed to obtain answers pertinent to research problems” and the another words “Interviewing is not a simple way to conversation between an interrogator and informant. Gesture, glances, facial expressions, pauses often reveals subtle feelings.”
Interview is a conversation with a purpose; it is more than a mere oral exchange of in formation. Its importance arises from the necessity to come in to contact with individual to get access to facts and opinion and to receive facts directly form the person. Where the sources is accessible to the investigation. Apart form accessibility, the controlling factor in the success of interview is the reaction of the individual personalities involves namely the investigator and the respondent.
But there are main conditions for the effectual interview, the first condition is that the accessibility of the required information to the respondent. The second condition is the cognition or understanding by the respondent of what is required of him, and the last condition is motivation on the part of the respondent to answer the questions accurately. Interview is the superior method in the research fieldwork, particularly in an underdeveloped country both because of the types of problems tackled and the environment from which data are to be collected for research.
There must be some considerable qualities for ideal interviews. The first point is, interviewer must be honest sincere and careful. Second is that they should have real interest in the work. Third, they should be accurate in their recording of answers in the way they follow instructions. Forth, interviewer should be willing to adopt to any personality and his/her mode of asking questions should be pleasant. While he/she should be friendly and interested he/she should not get too emotionally involved with the respondent and his/her problems, Fifth the interviewer must be intelligent enough to understand and follow complicated instructions.
There are various types of interview: formal interview and informal interview. There is also conversational or casual interview. There is no set questionnaire. In some cases, the respondent is given a good deal of freedom, to cover a given set of topics in a more or less systematic way, this is known as the guided or focused interview.
As far as acquiring of facts and figures is concernd, in research methodology interview is a useful tool for acquiring facts and figures and also seeking information from relevant individuals. Being direct, it is the only way in which certain types of information can be obtained. It is as trustworthy a means of getting facts as participant observation. Being highly flexible it permits of maximum variations in directing the acquiring and there in scores over the questionnaire, people unwilling to answer even the shortest questionnaire, will talk and freely too owing to the informality of the occasion. The interviewer helps to supplement personal information and check on experience and ideas, the interviewer uses his tool in the same way like a physician when he talks to patients to describe how he feels and what he thinks is the matter with him.
Importance of interview can be determined on the following points on which a researcher tries to investigate interpretation and verification of the relevant core issue. The first point is to collect about unknown facts through face-to-face contact. Second is to understand the need of investigator and respondent about the research requirements. Third is to formulate the hypothesis about a particular problem. Since the interview is on the field and has the opportunity of meeting the people, therefore, it becomes easy to formulate hypothesis for the thesis. The fourth point is to collect information about qualitative facts, in these attitudes, ideas feelings, views, behaviors very much count. Verification of new ideas, which the interviewer might have been entertaining about certain persons.
Finally, the collection of additional information or views of different persons about different problems in different situations, particularly from those who gave suggestion capacity and can give real and concrete proposals for the improvement of the study; to provide an opportunity to observe things from very close quarters.

Conclusion
The importance of interview is increasing due to its practical application in research methodology. Interview is a reliable method for the collection of data from relevant people. .The verification and justification of material is also encompassed through interview. Interview increases the further creative environment in particular research discipline, but the person who gets the interview from respondent must be sincere, honest and follow all the instructions of interview. The researcher must be using such techniques of questionnaires on which he/she is able to archive maximum information.

* Student, M.A (Final) First Semester (2006) Department of International Relations, University of Karachi

BIBILOGRAPHY

1. Reddy, Jayaprakash, R. Research Methodology (New Delhi: A P H publishing House, 2004), pp-29-34.
2. Blaxrer, Loraine, et.al How to Research. (New Delhi: Viva Books private limited, 2002), pp.176, 210-212.
3. Cauvery, R.et.al Research Methodology (Delhi: S. Chand & co. 2005). Pp. 92-94
   

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