entrevistas

Entrevistas, or interviews, are a method for obtaining information, perspectives, or narratives through direct questioning by an interviewer and responses from an interviewee. In journalism, research, and media production, interviews are used to gather firsthand accounts, verify facts, or illuminate opinions and experiences. The term appears in Spanish and Portuguese, and practice varies across cultures and disciplines.

Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. Structured interviews use a fixed set of questions; semi-structured interviews provide guiding questions with freedom to explore new topics; unstructured interviews resemble informal conversations and may evolve during the dialogue.

Formats include in-person, telephone, video, and written interviews. Recordings by audio or video are common, with transcripts used for analysis and publication.

The typical process involves planning and question design, obtaining informed consent, conducting the interview, recording, transcription, and analysis or reporting.

Ethical considerations emphasize consent, privacy, accuracy, and fairness. Interviewers should minimize bias, avoid leading questions, and respect respondent confidentiality.

Limitations include memory errors, social desirability, interviewer effects, and the influence of context on responses.

Interviews are a key tool in journalism, academic research, oral history, and public discourse, contributing to evidence, voices, and narratives.

See also: oral history, investigative journalism, and media studies.