Participant Directed Mobile Interviews
A Data Collection Method for Conducting In-Situ Field Research at a Distance
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2411538 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Cheryl L Arntson (0000-0001-9362-7758), Minn N Yoon (0000-0002-1949-793X) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Qualitative Methods (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1609-4069 • E-ISSN: 1609-4069 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/16094069231188254 |
| OpenAlex | W4383563275 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 20 |
COVID-19 restrictions necessitated innovative online adaptations to conventional qualitative methods; however, virtual interviews do not permit capturing visual data from participants' environments. Traditional mobile interviews conducted in situ provide contextual, relational, and situational knowledge. Virtual adaptations of mobile interviews have been theorized but not fully tested. This paper compares experiences with an online interview and a virtual adaptation of a mobile interview, the Participant-Directed Mobile Interview (PDMI), during a pilot study examining the design elements of private dental office waiting rooms as symbolic presentations of a dentist's and dental clinic's identity. Participants ( n = 4), who worked in private dental clinics and had participated in the planning and designing the waiting room, were selected using a purposive and convenience sample design. Participants were required to have access to a mobile device, the internet, and the Zoom cloud-based video conferencing platform. A semi-structured interview preceded PDMI, and both were recorded on Zoom. Unlike the online semi-structured interview, PDMI revealed the participant's relationship to the space, produced more nuanced and contextual data and clarified the meaning of subjective statements and terms. Mobile devices used by the participant (iPad/mobile phone) provided the researcher with a view of the space and access to visual and relational data that would not be possible if the camera focused on the participants alone. Participants could freely explore, interact with, and reflect on the space in real-time, enhancing the depth and breadth of responses. PDMI was limited by participants' access to and choice of equipment and internet services and their technical skill level. This technique could be applied to circumstances beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. PDMI could increase access, reduce research costs in distant or remote communities, and provide valuable insights within various methodologies and disciplines
Data collection · Internet privacy · Mobile device · Mobile phone · Multimedia · Nonprobability sampling · Participant observation · Population · Qualitative research · Situational ethics · Sociology · World Wide Web · Zoom · Computer Science · Dental Research and COVID-19 · Engineering · Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods · Medicine · Psychology · Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation · Applied Psychology · Social Psychology
Adapting research methodology during Covid-19
In-situ at a distance? challenges and opportunities for health and place research methods in a post-Covid-19 world
Power and pain
Affective Infrastructure
Qualitative inquiry and research design
Walkie-Talkie Maps - A Novel Method to Conduct and Visualize Remote Ethnography
Ethical Considerations for Qualitative Research Methods During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Other Emergency Situations
Methods in the Time of Covid-19
Walking and Talking Integration
Different Kinds of Knowing
Dismantling Mantelpieces
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |