Qualitative Online Interviews: Strategies, Design, and Skills

Citation

Antonina Bauman (2015), "Qualitative Online Interviews: Strategies, Design, and Skills", Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 201-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-10-2014-1252

Interviews have proven to be “the gold standard” of qualitative research (McCoyd and Kerson, 2006, p. 400) and “the most productive mode for producing narrative data” (Holt, 2010, p. 113). Since interviewing is a very personal method of data collection, it requires a certain degree of trust between the interviewer and the interviewee (Lyon, 2012). When an interview occurs in the virtual environment, traditional ways of creating rapport and trust during a conversation do not always work. How does one conduct an online interview that meets the requirements of academic rigor and ethics?

The textbook Qualitative Online Interviews by Salmons (2015) seeks to offer an answer to that question as its focus is on “designing, conducting, and assessing research that relies on data from interviews and related observations, materials, or artifacts collected online” (Salmons, 2015, p. xviii). The book consists of twelve chapters. The opening chapter briefly describes online interviews as a research method and introduces the E-Interview Research Framework developed by Salmons (2012) in her Cases in Online Interview Research book.

The following eight chapters (Chapters 2-10) describe eight elements of the E-Interview Research Framework: aligning purpose and design of a research project, choosing an online data collection method, taking a position as a researcher, determining a type of e-interview for the study, selecting appropriate communications technology, handling sampling, addressing ethical issues, and collecting the data.

However, unlike other textbooks, Qualitative Online Interviews does not stop at explaining the theoretical aspects of online interview techniques. It also links the theoretical foundation for, and practical application of, conducting qualitative research online. The key questions asked in these chapters make one ponder appropriate ways of designing and implementing research. Since all qualitative studies are context-specific, one does not expect to find a definitive answer in any book, but looks for guidance on the design and implementation of an online study. This guidance is offered in the form of sections entitled “Ethics Tips” and “Researcher’s Notebook” which share practical recommendations for conducting online interviews.

Chapter 11 “Contributing quality e-research to the literature” serves as a summary of the online research framework by providing practical questions which researchers should ask themselves while designing a study. As Salmons (2015) rightly notes, when a researcher submits a study based on online interviews for publication, that study receives closer scrutiny. It is usually reviewed not only from the traditional approach but also in terms of why and how technology was used, and whether that use was appropriate for the particular study. This chapter could be used as a check list for those who have limited experience in collecting qualitative data online to ensure that their study follows a valid design and accepted practices.

The last chapter of the book discusses trends in online communications and how they affect research and collaboration. Both positive and negative consequences are discussed so that researchers considering using online interviews in their studies are aware of the challenges they might face.

The book does not limit its discussion to online interviews, as it also covers other methods of online data collection such as visual solicitation and image collaboration. This is done to support the argument that in an online interview a respondent may provide links to online materials related to the topic of discussion, show pictures, videos or other images, and combine answers with comments posted elsewhere (Salmons, 2015). As such, it is difficult to clearly separate interviews, observations, and documents.

I found the practical tips extremely helpful, and I see that not only students or new researchers, but also more experienced scholars, could benefit from it. Salmons (2015) offers recommendations that cover all stages of the research process described in the book, which help one to execute a study. For example, the E-Interview Research Framework is suggested not only to design a study on a particular topic, but also to use for a self-review process before submitting findings for publication in an academic journal.

I would have liked to have seen a dedicated chapter on the steps involving analysis of the data gathered through online interviews, as the topic seems too important to be dealt with in the appendix. For a future edition, the scope of the book could be expanded to include more content on data analysis.

In summary, the book is useful for different groups of readers, including students and researchers at different points of their career. Students might focus on gaining knowledge about appropriate online interview technique. Experienced researchers could use the book for reference, especially if they intend to conduct cross-cultural or international research online due to a limited budget or would just like to learn more about basics and potential of online research. Anyone teaching qualitative methods might consider selecting this book as a resource for class preparation, as student learning outcomes for each chapter are suggested along with questions and assignments that develop student skills necessary to achieve those outcomes.