Good interview questions for a qualitative dissertation are open, neutral and clearly linked to your research questions. They invite participants to describe experiences in their own words, and they come with follow-up probes that help you go deeper.
This guide shows how to move from research questions to an interview guide, how to word questions and probes, how many to include, how to pilot them and how they fit into your methodology and ethics application.
What Makes a Good Dissertation Interview Question
A good question is open (it cannot be answered with yes or no), neutral (it does not suggest an answer), focused on one thing at a time and traceable to a research question. It often asks participants to describe a specific experience: "Can you tell me about a time when...?"
Most dissertation interviews are semi-structured: a short guide of main questions, each with planned probes, used flexibly so you can follow what participants raise.
Structured, Semi-Structured and Unstructured Interviews
| Type | How questions are used | Common in |
|---|---|---|
| Structured | Same questions, same order, little follow-up | Survey-style interviews, some mixed methods studies |
| Semi-structured | Guide of main questions and probes, used flexibly | Most qualitative dissertations |
| Unstructured or narrative | One broad opening prompt, then follow the participant | Narrative and some ethnographic research |
Your methodology shapes the questions. Phenomenological studies often ask about lived experience in detail; grounded theory studies may refine questions as analysis develops; case studies may ask about processes and events within the case. Explain your choice in the methods chapter.
From Research Questions to Interview Questions
Research questions are written for examiners; interview questions are written for participants. You rarely ask a research question directly. Instead, break each one into several conversational questions about experience.
Research question: How do newly appointed nurse managers experience the transition from clinical to management roles?
Interview questions:
1. Can you tell me how you came to take on your management role?
2. What did your first few weeks in the role look like?
3. Can you describe a moment when the role felt particularly challenging?
4. How have your relationships with former colleagues changed, if at all?
5. What has helped you most in adjusting to the role?
Build a simple mapping table in your methods chapter or appendix showing which interview questions address which research question. It shows examiners that the guide was designed, not improvized, and helps you check for gaps.
How to Word Interview Questions
| Principle | Avoid | Prefer |
|---|---|---|
| Open, not closed | "Was the training useful?" | "How did you find the training?" |
| Neutral, not leading | "How stressful was the transition?" | "How would you describe the transition?" |
| One idea per question | "How did your team and your manager react?" | Ask about the team and the manager separately |
| Concrete, not abstract | "What is leadership to you?" | "Can you tell me about a time you felt you led well?" |
| Plain language | "How did role ambiguity affect your self-efficacy?" | "Were there times you were unsure what was expected of you?" |
Be careful with "why" questions. They can sound like a challenge and invite justification rather than description. "What led you to...?" or "Can you tell me more about that decision?" often work better.
Probes and Follow-up Questions
Probes turn short answers into rich data. Plan a few for each main question, but use them only when needed.
- Elaboration: "Can you tell me more about that?"
- Example: "Could you give me an example?"
- Clarification: "When you say 'unsupported', what do you mean?"
- Feeling: "How did that feel at the time?"
- Consequence: "What happened after that?"
- Silence: a short pause often encourages participants to continue.
Avoid probes that summarize in your own words and ask for agreement, such as "So you felt abandoned?". They put your interpretation into the participant's mouth.
Structure of an Interview Guide
An interview guide is the document you take into each interview and usually submit with your ethics application. A common structure has five parts.
- Introduction: thank the participant, explain the purpose, confirm consent and recording, remind them they can skip questions or stop.
- Opening questions: easy, factual questions that build rapport, such as their role and background.
- Main questions: the core questions mapped to your research questions, each with probes.
- Closing question: "Is there anything else you would like to add that we have not covered?"
- Wrap-up: thank them, explain next steps and give contact details for support if the topic is sensitive.
How Many Questions and How Long
There is no fixed number. Many semi-structured dissertation interviews use somewhere around six to twelve main questions, each with probes, for an interview of roughly 45 to 90 minutes. Fewer, better questions usually produce richer data than a long list.
If your guide has twenty or more main questions, it probably reads more like a spoken survey. Combine overlapping questions and cut any that do not map to a research question.
Sample size is a separate decision. It depends on your design, the depth of each interview and your approach to saturation or information power, and should be justified with methodological sources in your methods chapter.
Piloting and Refining Your Questions
A pilot interview, with someone similar to your participants but not in your sample, shows whether questions are clear and whether the guide fits the time available. Many committees and ethics boards expect one.
- Note which questions confuse the participant or produce one-word answers.
- Check whether the order feels natural or jumps between topics.
- Time the interview, including probes.
- Ask the pilot participant for feedback on the questions themselves.
Record changes made after the pilot and explain them in your methodology. If you change questions after ethics approval, check whether you need to submit an amendment.
Online and in-Person Interviews
Many dissertation interviews now take place by video call. Questions work the same way, but the setting changes how you use them.
- Rapport takes longer online, so allow a few extra minutes for opening questions.
- Silence feels longer on screen. Pause deliberately, but tell participants at the start that you may take a moment before responding.
- Privacy matters: ask whether the participant can speak freely where they are, especially on sensitive topics.
- Recording: confirm consent for recording on the platform, and check where the platform stores files against your data management plan.
Telephone interviews remove visual cues altogether. They can suit busy professionals, but you will rely more heavily on verbal probes and on checking, in neutral terms, that you have understood.
Ethics and Sensitive Topics
Questions on sensitive subjects, such as health, trauma, workplace conflict or illegal behavior, need careful wording and a plan for distress. Your ethics board will look for this.
- Introduce sensitive sections with a brief signpost and a reminder that participants can skip questions.
- Avoid asking for details that would identify third parties.
- Have a support information sheet ready.
- Think about your own position, especially if you interview colleagues or people you have power over.
Common Interview Question Mistakes
- Asking research questions directly, in academic language.
- Leading questions that signal the answer you expect.
- Double-barrelled questions that ask two things at once.
- Too many questions for the time, leaving no room for probes.
- No mapping between interview questions and research questions.
- Skipping the pilot and discovering problems in the first real interview.
How DissertationHorse Helps with Interview Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Many semi-structured interviews use around six to twelve main questions with probes. The right number depends on your topic, time and design.
An interview based on a guide of main questions and probes, used flexibly so you can follow up on what participants raise.
Usually not. Break each research question into several plain, open questions about participants' experiences.
One that suggests an answer, such as "How difficult was it?". Ask "How would you describe it?" instead.
Usually yes, in an appendix. Ethics applications also typically require it.
It is strongly recommended and often expected. A pilot shows whether questions are clear and fit the time.
Small refinements are common in qualitative research, especially in grounded theory, but record the changes and check whether your ethics approval needs an amendment.
Some researchers share topics in advance so participants can prepare, especially for interviews about complex processes. Others prefer spontaneous answers. Either can be justified; explain your choice in the methods chapter.
Often 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the topic and participants. Tell participants the expected length when you recruit them.