Probing is seen to be the part of the research process that differentiates the in-depth, unstructured interview from an everyday conversation. This nature of conversation allows for spontaneity and for questions to develop during the course of the interview, which are based on the interviewees' responses. The chief feature of the unstructured interview is the idea of probe questions that are designed to be as open as possible.
Probing is seen as a pivotal element in the research process that differentiates it from casual conversations. This type of conversation facilitates spontaneity and enables questions to emerge organically, which are informed by the participants' responses. The defining characteristic of this approach is the use of flexible probe questions.