Interview-based research and the understanding of political data

Studying the dimensions and aspects of politics is basically complex, difficult, and controversial. In the study of politics, we are often confronted with different and sometimes paradoxical ideas, narratives, and arguments about political phenomena. Naturally, answering these questions and evaluating the nature of the issues raised requires learning techniques and methods that help us for methodical research. Interviewing is one of the most common methods of data collection, which is unfortunately less used in the field of political science in Iran. Addressing new interview methods, such as online interviewing and new communication capabilities, is an inevitable necessity for data collection. The importance of which became clearer to us in the Corona period. The main question of this paper is what types of interviews have the capacity to collect data and understand political attitudes, and how should the interview process be conducted? The main purpose is to be able to introduce the dimensions and aspects of interview-based research, types of interviews and discuss how to conduct the interview process. Therefore, an attempt will be made to consider the methods of collecting interview data in three structured, unstructured and semi-structured formats, the advantages and disadvantages of the interview, the types of interviews, and the interview-centered research process.