Online Interviews During a Pandemic: Benefits, Limitations, Strategies and the Impact On Early Career Researchers

Abstract

In response to Covid-19, many universities and research institutions around the world suspended face-to-face interactions in preference for online research. Online data collection presents notable challenges for conducting qualitative interviews. This article discusses some key benefits and limitations to conducting interviews online compared to traditional face-to-face approaches. There is a need for up-to-date methodological guidance on conducting online interviews and balanced comparison between online and face-to-face methods. Moving research online in response to the pandemic is likely to have impacted the experiences of students and early career researchers, which may influence the direction of future qualitative research.