3.2 Interview

The technique: the direct conversation for data — the structured (the fixed questionnaire, verbatim — the survey's oral twin), the semi-structured (the guide's questions with the conversation's freedom — the socio-legal standard), the unstructured (the open exploration — the oral-history mode), and the focused interview (the shared-experience group). The skills: the rapport, the questioning's craft (open before closed; no leading; the funnel), the probing, the recording (the consent's record — audio's permission), the field notes. In legal research: the judges, the lawyers, the police, the prisoners, the victims, the court staff — the actors' own accounts of the law's working. The ethics: informed consent, confidentiality, the vulnerable interviewee's protections, the exit-right.