Adapting to remote interviewing methods to investigate the factors that influence the quality of paid disability support

Author / Creator

Topping, Megan, author

Available as

Online

Summary

This case study, drawn from my ongoing doctoral research, documents our experience of conducting online qualitative interviews in a constructivist grounded theory study. The overall aim of the rese...

This case study, drawn from my ongoing doctoral research, documents our experience of conducting online qualitative interviews in a constructivist grounded theory study. The overall aim of the research is to understand the factors that influence the quality of paid disability support for adults with acquired neurological disability. While we had planned face-to-face data collection, social distancing restrictions enforced due to COVID-19 meant we had to transition to online data collection. In this case study, we describe the key elements of planning and implementing online interviews and what we learned from our experience. The key elements included are recruitment, informed consent, scheduling interviews, building rapport, videoconference versus telephone interviewing, data authenticity, as well as incorporating a distress protocol, and a data verification strategy. We conclude that the key to online interviewing is considering the needs of the population, being flexible in your approach to qualitative research and incorporating strategies to build rapport and, in turn, create a safe and comfortable interview environment.

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