User satisfaction and user experiences with Access Grid as a medium for social science research: a research note

Pioneering the use of technologies in qualitative research – A research review of the use of digital interviews

“…The main criticism, however, concerns whether or not visual cues can be identified. Although more visual cues can probably be read in an in-person setting, as the camera usually only captures the head and upper body (Fielding & Fielding, 2012;Seitz, 2015), audio/visual interviews seem to be closest to the 'gold standard' (Lofland & Lofland, 1995, as cited in McCoyd & Kerson, 2006 of interviewing. However, audio/visual interviews also raise ethical concerns with regard to visual cues, especially if the researcher cannot determine if a participant is distressed by the interview (cf.…”

“…Still, Zoom is at least described as user-friendly, and according to Archibald et al (2019) as many as 66 percent of the participants preferred Zoom over in-person interviews, while many described it as the second-best option, after in-person interviews, even though 88 percent reported experiencing some sort of technical difficulty using the program. Other difficulties that were expressed concerning digital interviews are sound delays (Adams-Hutcheson & Longhurst, 2017;Fielding & Fielding, 2012), not being able to see all the participants at the same time during focus groups (Gratton & O'Donnell, 2011), and lack of technical resources (Rowe et al, 2014;Sedgwick & Spiers, 2009). Although the extent of these technical difficulties varied between the studies, they show the importance of testing the technology together with participants before interviews.…”

“…The answers, although shorter, were more to the point (Woodyatt et al, 2016). Similarly, although body language might need to be exaggerated to be conveyed in video, at least it is visible and can be read, and the online setting can reduce the power imbalance between the researcher and the participant, as participants are more in control of their participation and can log off at any time (Fielding, 2010;Fielding & Fielding, 2012). Furthermore, Lo Iacono et al (2016) and Jenner and Myers (2019) argue that rapport is as easy to build over the internet as it is in an offline setting, and that the online interviews do not suffer from over-disclosure.…”

“…McCarrick et al (2016), however, state that building rapport took more time using Skype, and conclude that the rapport building needs to start before the interview begins, to reduce potential discomfort for the participant. Furthermore, the online setting offers an additional level of anonymity (if only audio is used) and the interview can be terminated at any time by just logging off (Adams-Hutcheson & Longhurst, 2017;Fielding & Fielding, 2012;Jenner & Myers, 2019;Sipes et al, 2019;Woodyatt et al, 2016). This means that, on the one hand, digital interviews might be a better choice for sensitive topics, as the participants are in more control over the interview and can end their participation at any time.…”

Remembering remotely: would video-mediation impair witnesses' memory reports?

“…A videocamera beneath the screen streamed images of the participant back to the interviewer. These virtual interviews were conducted via a professional videoconferencing network that permitted high-resolution audiovisual communication between the two locations (see Fielding & Fielding, 2012). EarlyVirtual participants were unaware until the study ended that they and the interviewer were within the same building.…”