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Telephone Versus Face-to-Face Interviews

Mode Effect on Semistructured Interviews with Children

Bibliographic Data

ID6169526
AuthorsSusanne Vogl (0000-0003-4631-303X, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume43
Issue1
Pages133-177
Publication date2013-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociological Methodology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0081-1750 • E-ISSN: 1467-9531
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0081175012465967
OpenAlexW2316928098
LanguageEN
Citations received54
References cited34

Usually, semistructured interviews are conducted face-to-face, and because of the importance of personal contact in qualitative interviews, telephone interviews are often discounted. Missing visual communication can make a telephone conversation appear less personal and more anonymous but can also help prevent some distortions and place the power imbalance between adult interviewer and (child) respondent into perspective. In this article telephone and face-to-face interviews are compared in order to analyse the general applicability of telephone interviews and their peculiarities when researching children. The data consists of 112 semistructured interviews with 56 children aged 5, 7, 9 and 11, conducted in Germany. Each child was interviewed twice; once on the telephone and once face-to-face. By triangulating qualitative and quantitative analytical steps, both interview modes are compared from a number of perspectives. The results showed very little difference between the two modes of interview and therefore challenge the reluctance to conduct semistructured telephone interviews, both in qualitative research and with children. Dependent on the research question, relevant distinctions could be the lower interviewer involvement, the lower number of opinions and suggestions stated by respondents and fewer signs of tension and tension release in telephone interviews

Conversation · Face-to-face · Face-to-face interaction · Interview · Perspective (graphical · Qualitative research · Respondent · Semi-structured interview · Sociology · Telephone interview · Applied Psychology · Children's Rights and Participation · Communication · Computer Science · Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods · Participatory Visual Research Methods · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works54
Citations per year5,4
Citation span2016 - 2026 (11)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 54
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