Online Interviews Checklist for Researchers and Students

Background

In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted various aspects of our lives. Personal meetings were often no longer possible, or if they were, they required maintaining distance and/or wearing masks. Remote work became the norm whenever feasible, certain population groups were increasingly considered vulnerable, and international travel was temporarily restricted. This context also significantly shaped how qualitative research could be conducted during these two years. Instead of face-to-face interviews – the so-called ‘gold standard’ of qualitative interview modes – researchers increasingly turned to online interviews (De’ et al., 2020; Keen et al., 2022; Weller, 2017; Samuk Carignani & Burchi).

This shift also affected the author of this checklist, Livia Tomás. As part of her PhD research conducted in the project “Transnational Ageing: Post-Retirement Mobilities, Transnational Lifestyles and Care Configurations,” qualitative interviews were planned with older adults on the move, with fieldwork in Spain and Morocco. To adapt to the health crisis and advance in her data collection, she decided to conduct the interviews via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Webex. In total, 16 of the 45 qualitative interviews were conducted virtually. By 2021, she was able to travel to Spain and conduct her fieldwork under adapted conditions, meeting participants who were unwilling to transition from a personal to an online setting. However, the fieldwork in Morocco had to be canceled entirely.

Since this interview mode was new to her, she explored the relevant methodological literature, which largely focused on the limitations of online interviews. She found little practical guidance on how to mitigate these challenges. This gap led to the publication of the co-authored paper “Conducting qualitative interviews via VoIP technologies: reflections on rapport, technology, digital exclusion, and ethics” in the International Journal of Social Research Methodology in 2024.

A Practical Guide

The aim of both the paper and this checklist is to support students and researchers in planning and conducting interviews via VoIP technologies. Designed as a practical resource for students, researchers and lecturers of qualitative methods, it provides an overview of how to prepare for, conduct, and follow up on such interviews. In so doing, it covers key aspects of building rapport in online settings and addressing issues related to digital exclusion, ethics, and technical challenges.

To enhance accessibility and engagement with qualitative methods and the interview mode more specifically, the checklist was illustrated by Filippo Buzzini from Sketchy Solutions.

Access the Checklist  (EN, DE, FR)

References:

–De’, R., Pandey, N., & Pal, A. (2020). Impact of digital surge during Covid-19 pandemic: A viewpoint on research and practice. International Journal of Information Management, 55, 102171.
–Keen, S., Lomeli-Rodriguez, M., & Joffe, H. (2022). From Challenge to Opportunity: Virtual Qualitative Research During COVID-19 and Beyond. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 1-11.
–Self, B. (2021). Conducting interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 22(3), art.15.
–Samuk Carignani, Ş., & Burchi, S. (2022). Preparing for Online Interviews during Covid‑19: the Intricacies of Technology and Online Human Interaction. SN Social Sciences, 2(10), 210.
–Tomás, L., & Bidet, O. (2023). Conducting qualitative interviews via VoIP technologies: reflections on rapport, technology, digital exclusion, and ethics. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 27(3), 275–287.