When conducting qualitative research, the modern-day researcher has a variety of options available in order to collect data from participants. Although traditional face-to-face interviews remain prominent, innovative communication technologies, such as Skype, have facilitated new modes of communication. While potential research populations have become increasingly geographically dispersed, technological advancements and software have made communicating over large distances more feasible. Because of this, research is no longer limited to face-to-face accessible participants, as online methods have facilitated access to global research participants. This article presents the experiences of two PhD researchers using Skype to interview participants. While findings show that there are benefits and drawbacks to the utility of Skype, this article argues that synchronous online interviewing is a useful supplement or replacement to face-to-face interviews. Concluding comments acknowledge that more research is required to more comprehensively understand how technologies challenge the basic assumptions of the traditional face-to-face interview.

This paper examines the drivers to UK student work placement mobility through the Erasmus programme (European Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students). This research was stimulated by the overrepresentation of UK students in the Erasmus work placement programme since its introduction in 2007. Using a multi-methods approach, based on student interviews and report analysis, five main drivers to Erasmus work placement mobility are revealed: employability, the economic downturn and subsequent failure to secure a placement in the UK, language, finance and personal factors. This paper discusses these five factors to reveal the complex and interlinked influences that encourage UK students to undertake an Erasmus work placement. Overall, employability is identified as the main driver to the mobility of Erasmus work placement students. It is argued that the neoliberal agenda in UK higher education, to streamline away from education for the public good, towards education for employability purposes, is a key factor in explaining the popularity of Erasmus work placements in the UK. Importantly, this paper argues that the drivers to work placement mobility are different to the motivations to study abroad. It is, therefore, essential that they are dealt with separately in order to explore the differences and similarities between sub-types of student mobility.

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HIV-related stressors affecting young adults with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV+) and their siblings include parental and sibling ill-health and death, own ill-health, HIV disclosure, and stigma. Young people with PHIV+ typically share their HIV status with family members. We explored sibling relationships in young people with PHIV+. Ten participants (six females, 17–23 years old) with PHIV+ took part in a semi-structured interview, analysed using Grounded Theory. The data were condensed into three theoretical codes: (1) HIV disclosure in sibling relationship; (2) Patterns of communication about HIV between siblings; and (3) Patterns of coping and support in sibling relationship.