Difference between interview and questionnaire

Posted By: Sm Adminon: November 22, 2015In: Miscellaneous

Interview:
An interview is the formal discussion between the hirer and a candidate where the questions are asked with an intention to find out the suitability for the vacant post. The person who asks the question is called an interviewer whereas the one who answers the question is called interviewee.
Questionnaire:
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of series of questions with an objective to gather information from respondents. The respondents should answer in either yes or no form.
Differences:

Basis	Interview	Questionnaire
Definition (www.oxforddictionaries.com)	A set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers, devised for the purposes of a survey or statistical study.	A meeting of people faces to face, especially for consultation.
Objectives/Purpose		Its purposes are: Collect the appropriate data make data comparable and amenable to analysis minimize bias in formulating and asking question to make questions engaging and varied
Synonyms	Examination, statement, talk, press conference and conversation	Census, application, survey, sampling and poll
Antonyms	Silence	Survey, poll, comeback, reply and retort
Types	The types of interview are: Personal interview Evaluation interview Persuasive interview Structured interview Unstructured interview Counseling interview Disciplinary interview Stress interview Public interview Informal or conversational interview General interview guide approach Standardized or open-ended interview Closed or fixed-response interview	The types of questionnaire are: Open format questions Closed format questions
Word origin	It was originated in the early 16th century: from French entrevue, from s’entrevoir ‘see each other’, from voir ‘to see’, on the pattern of vue ‘a view’	It was originated in the late 19th century: from French, from questionner ‘to question’.
Pronunciation	Eng (UK): /ˌkwɛstʃəˈnɛː / Eng (US): /ˌkwesCHəˈner /	Eng (UK): /ˈɪntəvjuː / Eng (US): /ˈin(t)ərˌvyo͞o /
Advantages/Benefits	Its advantages are: Easy correction of speech Development of relationship Selection of suitable candidate Collection of primary information Sufficient information Time saving Less costly Increasing knowledge	Its advantages are: Questionnaires are more objective, certainly more so than interviews. It is relatively quick to collect information using a questionnaire. Potentially information can be collected from a large portion of a group.
Disadvantages	Its disadvantages are: Incomplete process No record Lack of attention Disappointed Time consuming Biases of interviewer Inefficiency of the interviewer Not suitable for personal matters	Its disadvantages are: If you forget to ask a question, you cannot usually go back to respondents, especially if they are anonymous It is sometimes difficult to obtain a sufficient number of responses, especially from postal questionnaires Those who have an interest in the subject may be more likely to respond, skewing the sample Respondents may ignore certain questions Questionnaires may appear impersonal Questions may be incorrectly completed They are not suitable to investigate long, complex issues Respondents may misunderstand questions because of poor design and ambiguous language Questionnaires are unsuitable for some kinds of respondents, e.g. Visually impaired students There is the danger of questionnaire fatigue if surveys are carried out too frequently They may require follow up research to investigate issues in greater depth and identify ways to solve problems highlighted.
Example in Sentence	We haven’t received any responses to the questionnaire which we sent. We are asked very personal questions by a questionnaire.	He is going to give an interview today. I would like to interview Richard.