In-depth interviews (IDIs), where a moderator interviews a single respondent, can be crucial for exploring delicate subjects or accessing hard-to-reach demographics, whether face-to-face, online, or over the phone.

It may also be useful to conduct IDIs instead of, or in addition to, focus groups when you want to obtain a lot of detailed information from each respondent or when want to explore the differences in opinion between lots of different kinds of respondents. IDIs are often used in B2B and healthcare market research to gather very specific and detailed feedback from respondents who are experts in their field. A small number of IDIs with the right interviewees can deliver valuable findings very quickly.

Respondents will typically be more comfortable and talkative when speaking to just one other person in the room, especially when it comes to sensitive topics. When only speaking to one person, it is also easier to probe more deeply on a particular statement or ask follow-up questions which weren’t initially included in the discussion guide.

We can record IDIs and provide simultaneous translation for foreign language interviews. We can also analyse and report on interviews in order to draw out key insights.

Online and telephone interviews are typically most cost-effective and convenient, and make it easier to obtain insights from participants who live in different locations, but complex or sensitive issues may be explored more easily face-to-face.