Is “online” the new “safe space” for conducting qualitative interviews?

Online research

Over the recent years there has been a significant increase in interest in using internet for qualitative enquiry, and a number of new an innovative methods have been adopted and tested, including online ethnographies (Garcia et al., 2009; Kozinets, 2009) or analysing blog (Hookway, 2008) and Facebook (Baker, 2013; Taylor et al., 2014; Wilson et al., 2012) content.

Advantages and disadvantages of Skype interviews

Conducting interviews through Skype or other VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technologies has also been increasingly discussed (e.g. Bertrand and Bourdeau, 2010; Deakin and Wakefield, 2013; Oates, 2015). Notwithstanding some possible challenges of this method, including potential difficulties in establishing trust and rapport, challenges of discussing difficult and “sensitive” topics, threats to the overall “richness” of interaction, technical problems (e.g. slow internet connection and/or poor video/audio quality) that may disrupt the flow of the conversation, or not being able to pay attention to non-verbal ques (e.g. gestures and body language) and the overall context of the interviewee’s environment, there are also advantages of conducting interviews online.  The most commonly discussed advantages are the capacity of this method to enable us to transcend geographical boundaries and connect with participants all over the world, as well as to be more flexible and save us and the participants a lot of time. In some contexts, the fact that the interviewees are not required to be physically present at the interview may also help to reduce stress and anxiety and, as a result, benefit, rather than affect, the overall rapport between the researcher and the interviewee.

The new “safe space”

It is this aspect of reducing stress that I want to draw your attention to in particular. It is commonly argued in the literature on conducting qualitative interviews that one of the most important things to consider is the location of the interview. It is advised that we select the “location” that is convenient to our interviewees, the one in which they feel comfortable and relaxed. I believe, therefore, that in 2018, when over half (55%) of the world’s population has access to internet (a significant increase from just over 40% in 2015), the question we need to ask ourselves is whether the “location” should still refer to a physical environment. This, I believe, is an important issue to consider particularly when interviewing younger generations (although in 2015 over ¾ of adults in the UK were reported to use internet every day). They spend so much time online that, arguably, this is the “place” where they feel most comfortable. They are quickly becoming experts in social media platforms and they do not seem to mind sharing their views and talking to people either there or through the online games they play. At the same time, they seem to be more reluctant than we used to be when they have to interact with others (especially adults) in person. Regardless of the physical “location” that they choose for the interview, will they really open up and feel comfortable and at ease when they are taken outside their safe “online space” and have a stranger “invade” their personal space? I believe that, as researchers, we really need to reconsider the meaning of terms such as “location” or “interpersonal distance” (e.g. “social”, “personal” or “intimate” distance) in light of the global spread of the internet and the resulting changes in people’s preferences for communication. I urge you, therefore, to become “pioneers” of new and innovative approaches to research, in order to ensure that qualitative research is not stuck in the past, but rather is responsive to the emerging trends and keeps bringing about great changes in people’s lives.

Reference list

Baker, S. (2013). Conceptualising the use of Facebook in ethnographic research: as tool, as data and as context. Ethnography and Education, 8 (5), 131-45.

Bertrand, C., & Bourdeau, L. (2010). Research interviews by Skype: A new data collection method. In J. Esteves (Ed.), 9th European Conference on Research Methods (pp. 70-79). Spain: IE Business School: Reading UK, Academic Publishing.

Deakin, H., & Wakefield, K. (2013). Skype interviewing: Reflections of two PhD researchers. Qualitative Research, 14(5), 603-616.

Garcia, A.C., Standlee, A. I., Bechkoff, J., & Yan, C. (2009). Ethnographic Approaches to the Internet and Computer-Mediated Communication. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 38 (1), 52-84.

Hookway, N.. (2008). `Entering the blogosphere’: some strategies for using blogs in social research. Qualitative Research, 8 (1), 91-113

Kozinets, R. V. (2009). Netnography: doing ethnographic research online. London: SAGE.

Oates, J. (2015). Use of Skype in interviews: The impact of the medium in a study of mental

health nurses. Nurse Researcher, 22(4), 13-17.

Taylor, Y., Falconer, E., & Snowdon, R. (2014). Queer youth, Facebook and faith: Facebook methodologies and online identities. New Media & Society, 16 (7), 1138-53.

Wilson, R. E., Gosling, S. D., & Graham, L. T. (2012). A Review of Facebook Research in the Social Sciences. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7 (3), 203-20.