Interviews are generally considered as more of an interpretivist method, although sociologists taking a more positivistic and quantitative approach do also use them.

Do positivists use interviews?

Positivists primarily use in-depth interviews: 1. as a descriptive tool; 2.

Do positivists or Interpretivists prefer structured interviews?

When studying society, Positivists like to collect quantitative, objective data using surveys, structured interviews and official statistics. Positivists prefer using these methods because the data produced is quantifiable, it uncovers patterns of behaviour which can be analysed for patterns and trends.