As well as conducting surveys and gathering comparative data, a good method to gain a deeper insight into a particular approach, or attitudes towards OER is to conduct interviews. This can be as a result of a follow-up from a survey, or by seeking specific individuals (for example, policy makers).

The OER Research Hub developed a set of interview questions (a copy is also available in the Appendix) which are available under a CC-BY licence. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured and unstructured. Which of these options you choose will depend on the purpose of interviews in your overall methodology. Structured interviews allow for comparison and to ensure certain areas are covered, but can be restrictive. Unstructured are useful for explorative work when little is known about the topic, but the range will vary depending on the interviewee. Semi-structured allows some flexibility within a pre-defined format.   Interviews provide a good method for exploring a subject in depth, expanding on survey findings and matching with quantitative data.