IDI is a qualitative way of gathering information during an individual discussion with the respondent.
In the standardized questionnaire, the respondent usually gets a choice of suggested responses. IDI focuses more on free and open answers. The moderator leads the discussion so that all the intended topics are raised, but encourages the respondent to speak freely. This is the reason why the IDI usually takes about 1 hour.
IDI provides information about feelings associated with a product, impressions, reflections, and motivation.
IDI is the right choice if you want to:
- know the independent opinions of experts,
- understand the opinions of people difficult to reach (VIPs, patients),
- talk about difficult or intimate issues (diseases, fears, sex, addiction, debts),
- it is crucial to eliminate impact of other respondents (e.g. organizational climate),
- significant self-presentation may be expected (e.g. interviews with politicians, teachers).
In-Depth Interviews enable us:
- to gain an insight into the respondent’s opinions and attitudes,
- to describe the motivation behind their actions,
- to check their understanding of new ideas/ materials,
- to explore brand image,
- to create a profile of a potential/ current user/ addressee of a product/ brand,
- to describe attitudes towards social phenomena,
- to specify the optimal level of changes in the environment (e.g. social reforms, privatization in the work place).