What characterizes an interview in sociological research?

An interview in sociological research is primarily characterized by being an open conversation for data gathering. This method allows researchers to engage directly with participants, facilitating a more in-depth exploration of their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, providing flexibility in how questions are posed and allowing for follow-up queries based on respondents' answers. This conversational aspect enables researchers to obtain nuanced qualitative data that fixed-format surveys typically do not capture.

The other options do not accurately represent the nature of interviews. A written survey with fixed answers aligns more with quantitative research methods, while interviews thrive on the interaction and dialogue that can evolve spontaneously. Similarly, limiting questions solely to quantitative measurements misrepresents the qualitative richness that interviews provide. Conducting interviews consistently in a group setting contrasts with the typical practice, where they can take place individually or in various formats based on the research objectives.