An unstructured interview is a qualitative research method in which the moderator begins with a broad topic or opening question and lets the conversation develop based on what the participant says. Unlike semi-structured or structured formats, there is no predetermined sequence of questions, which makes unstructured interviews particularly well suited to exploratory research where the team does not yet know what it does not know. The approach surfaces unexpected themes, emotional context, and the language participants use in their own words, all of which are difficult to capture through surveys or tightly scripted discussion guides. In qualitative research practice, unstructured interviews are often used in early discovery phases, ethnographic work, and any context where genuine participant perspective matters more than comparability across respondents.