What is the main challenge in achieving reliability in unstructured interviews?

The main challenge in achieving reliability in unstructured interviews is the lack of predefined questions. In unstructured interviews, interviewers do not follow a strict set of questions and can adapt their inquiries based on the interviewee's responses. This flexibility allows for richer, more nuanced data collection but also introduces variability in how each interview is conducted. Consequently, the responses can differ significantly depending on the interviewer’s approach, style, and the topics they choose to explore. This variability makes it difficult to achieve consistent results across different interviews, which is a key aspect of reliability. Without a standardized framework, it is challenging to ensure that each respondent is evaluated under the same conditions, leading to issues in comparing data across different interviews.