Abstract:

This chapter is still concerned with occasions when the ‘standard’ forms of interviewing are inappropriate, though before a fourth edition of this work appears it seems likely that such a definition will need revision. In general terms three situations call for the use of techniques other than ‘standard’ interviewing. The first of these is when those to be interviewed are, widely scattered or otherwise difficult (and expensive) to contact, or when a large number of interviews are required in a very short space of time. It involves the use of: (a) telephone surveys; or (b) mail surveys.