The Romance of Interaction. The Circumstances and Potential of Qualitative Interviews at a Distance

Introduction

Regarding qualitative online interviews, the research community is divided between an ‘anything goes’ optimism on the one hand and scepticism about the changes in personal communication on the other. Only rarely is it empirically and socio-theoretically asked which circumstances accompany qualitative online interviews and what potential they have.

Aims and Methods

This paper discusses empirical and theoretical findings on conducting web-based qualitative interviews, in particular concerning personal relationships and the circumstances under which the interview ‘works well.' It is based on my own research, in which I conducted all types of qualitative interviews (narrative, semi-structured, with groups) at the maximum possible distance (asynchronous written, with e-mails and web forums) and analyzed them according to their respective methods of choice. The interviews were considered successful if they enabled the research question to be investigated profitably.

Results

Qualitative interviews are by no means merely a list of open questions which can be adapted from quantitative research, even though this is often practised. They also do not constitute humanistic-romantic or even therapeutic relationships, as they are often portrayed. Instead, decidedly qualitative questioning techniques and not too close relationships generate ‘interaction flows’. This is true face to face, but it is also particularly evident online – though not all qualitative interview methods and therefore not all research objectives work at the maximum distance.

Conclusion

The fact that neither ‘anything goes’ nor romantic relationships between researchers and interviewees necessarily lead to fluent communication can be demonstrated particularly well in asynchronous interviews. Therefore, online interviews not only can lead to good data (under certain circumstances). They also encourage us to tailor qualitative interview methods more closely to research questions and thus use them in a more informed way.This is also associated with the limitations of online methods.