SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS IN CIVIL SOCIETY STUDIES: NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Abstract

This article examines the details and limitations of the semi-structured interviews as one of the important methodological tools in civil society and qualitative studies. Through the semi-structured interview method, researchers have access to data that provides in-depth explanations about various aspects of the experiences, opinions, emotions, and motivations of the individuals who are the research subjects, which may be challenging to obtain with other methods. The study details different types of semi-structured interviews and presents examples from civil society studies in Turkey. Based on the analysis of the existing literature and the author's field study experiences, the article discusses fundamental issues such as positionality and reflexivity, establishing rapport and access to participants, ethical issues and interaction, and the difficulties in each stage of the knowledge production process. The study emphasizes that semi-structured interviews are an important methodology, and presents theoretical and practical recommendations for researchers.