How to choose an application for conducting online interviews? Methodical recommendations
Research Article
Acknowledgments
The author expresses gratitude to Anastasia Vladimirovna Saponova, an anonymous reviewer and editor of the journal Sociology: 4M, for valuable advice and comments that significantly improved this article.
How to Cite
Popov D.S. How to choose an application for conducting online interviews? Methodical recommendations. Sociology: methodology, methods, mathematical modeling (Sociology: 4M). 2024. No. 58. P. 130-157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19181/4m.2024.33.1.5 (in Russ.).
Abstract
The article addresses the issue of selecting an application for conducting online interviews. An attempt is made to describe the specifics of qualitative online interviews from the perspective of methodological principles that impose constraints, open opportunities, and set requirements for online interview tools. As a result of analyzing these principles, a list of parameters for the applications suitable for comparison is formulated: no restrictions in the free version; unlimited conference duration; capability for video recording; screen sharing capability; ability to use without video; a separate conference chat; automatic chat saving; ability to use without an account; capability for interviewing informants in non-Russian-speaking environments; integration with electronic calendars. Using Zoom, Telegram, Yandex.Telemost, and Google Meet as examples, a comparison is made to select the best tool for conducting online interviews. The author emphasizes that the developed recommendations represent only the initial stage of methodological reflection on the choice of applications aimed at the preliminary structuring of the material.
Keywords:
online interview, qualitative interview, interview, online research, qualitative online methods, methods of online research, methodology of qualitative research
References
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23. Chudova I.A., Chernyshova E.A., Pirotskaya A.V. Online interview in studies of online communication: methodical reflections (in Russian), Sotsiologiya 4M (Sociology: methodology, methods, mathematical modeling), 2017, no. 44, p. 73-110. EDN: YMAFTH.
24. Chen P., Hinton S.M. Realtime interviewing using theworld wide web, Sociological Research Online, 1999, vol. 4, no. 3, p. 63-81. DOI: 10.5153/sro.308.
25. Lobe B. Integration of online research methods. Faculty of Social Sciences. 2008. ISBN: 978-961-235-319-3.
26. Self B. Conducting Interviews During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond (in Russian, transl. from English: A.P. Ryazantsev), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2021, vol. 13. no. 4. p. 9-27. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2021.13.4.1. EDN: LJCXWV.
27. Newman P., Guta A., Black T. Ethical Considerations for Qualitative Research Methods During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Emergency Situations: Navigating the Virtual Field, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2021, vol. 20, no. 1, p. 1-12. DOI: 10.1177/16094069211047823. EDN: RDLTAX.
28. Rogozin D.M. Interview Completion Protocol (in Russian). Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2023, vol. 15. no. 4. p. 115-124. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2023.15.4.6. EDN: AQONVJ.
29. Savinskaya O.B. INTER-Encyclopedia: Interviewing Children (in Russian), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2023, vol. 15. no. 1. p. 95-103. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2023.15.1.5. EDN: BYLIOU.
30. Yudina M.A. The Impact of Digitalization on Social Inequality (in Russian), Uroven' zhizni naseleniya regionov Rossii (Living Standards of the Population in the Regions of Russia), 2020, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 97-108. DOI: 10.19181/lsprr.2020.16.1.10.
31. Jenner B.M., Myers K.C. Intimacy, rapport, and exceptional disclosure: a comparison of in-person and mediated interview contexts, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2018, vol. 22, no. 2, p. 165-177. DOI: 10.1080/13645579.2018.1512694.
32. Lobe B., Morgan D., Hoffman K. Qualitative Data Collection in an Era of Social Distancing, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2020, vol. 19, no. 2, p. 1-8. DOI: 10.1177/1609406920937875.
33. Oliffe J.L., Kelly M.T., Gonzalez Montaner G., Yu Ko W.F. Zoom Interviews: Benefits and Concessions, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2021, vol. 20, p. 1-8. DOI: 10.1177/16094069211053522. EDN: EYAMVT.
34. Rozhdestvenskaya E. Yu. Interviewing the Elite and Celebrities: A Comparative Analysis of Methodological Opportunities and Limitations (in Russian), Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes, 2021, no. 5. p. 64-91. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2021.5.1988. EDN: FKBUMP.
35. Chernova Z.V. Methodological Aspects of Expert Interviews: Approaches, Opportunities, and Limitations (in Russian), Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social'nye peremeny (Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes), 2023, no. 5, p. 74-90. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2023.5.2418. EDN: GEALNB.
2. Lobe B., Morgan D., Hoffman K. A Systematic Comparison of In-Person and Video-Based Online Interviewing, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2022, vol. 21., no. 2, p. 1-12. DOI: 10.1177/16094069221127068.
3. Khan T.H., MacEachen E. An Alternative Method of Interviewing: Critical Reflections on Videoconference Interviews for Qualitative Data Collection, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2022, vol. 21. DOI: 10.1177/16094069221090063.
4. Zheliznyk M.N. Online Focus-Groups: Methodical Reflection (in Russian), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2023, vol. 15. no. 2. p. 51-71. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2023.15.2.3. EDN: MDLPPK.
5. Kähäri O., Edelman K. Conducting Sensitive Interviews Online, Symbolic Interaction, 2024, vol. 47, no 1, p. 68-92. DOI: 10.1002/SYMB.674. EDN: BBGWUQ.
6. Dmitrieva O.A. Skype interview in qualitative research: an overview of reflections (in Russian), Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social'nye peremeny (Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes), 2018, no. 1, p. 107-116. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2018.1.06. EDN: YQUCMT.
7. Archibald M.M., Ambagtsheer R.C., Casey M.G., Lawless M. Using Zoom Videoconferencing for Qualitative Data Collection: Perceptions and Experiences of Researchers and Participants, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2019, vol. 18, p. 1-8, DOI: 10.1177/1609406919874596.
8. Gray L.M., Wong Wylie G., Rempel G.R., Cook K.. Expanding Qualitative Research Interviewing Strategies: Zoom Video Communications, The Qualitative Report, 2020, vol. 25, no. 5, p. 1292-1301. DOI: 10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4212.
9. Kvale S. Interviews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing (transl., in Russian). M.: Smysl, 2003. ISBN: 5-89357-145-2. EDN: QXGGCB.
10. Bryman A. Social Research Methods. N. Y.:Oxford University Press. 2004. ISBN: 9780199264469.
11. Rozhdestvenskaya E.Yu. INTER-Encyclopedia: Narrative Interview (in Russian), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), vol. 12. no. 4. p. 114-127. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2020.12.4.8. EDN: FDKZEU.
12. Maslova O.M. Interviewer’s World according to formalized and free interviews (in Russian), Sotsiologiya 4M (Sociology: methodology, methods, mathematical modeling), 2000, no. 12, p. 40-64. EDN: PFBUJJ.
13. Oberemko O.A., Terenteva N.N. Focused interview according to Robert Merton: features and criteria of quality (in Russian), Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social'nye peremeny (Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes), 2018, no. 6. p. 74-90. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2018.6.04. EDN: YZYHYL.
14. Klimov I.A. INTER-Encyclopedia: Cognitive Interview (in Russian), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2021, vol. 13, no. 4, p. 114-127. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2021.13.4.6. EDN: IZXVUN.
15. Online serveys in Russia: trends and prospects (in Russian), ed. by: Shashkin A.V., Pozdnyakova M.E. Moscow: Publishing House of the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2006. ISBN: 978-5-903255-04-7. EDN: XGDBAL.
16. Deviatko I.F. “Online Research Toolkit: An Attempt at Cataloging” (in Russian), in: Online serveys in Russia 3.0., ed. by: A.V. Shashkin, I.F. Deviatko, S.G. Davydov, M.: Codex, 2012. P. 17-30. EDN: XFYLBZ.
17. Kolozaridi P.V. “The problem of the method of conducting qualitative interviews: Skype, online, face to face” (in Russian), In: Online serveys in Russia: trends and prospects, ed. by: A.V. Shashkin, I.F. Devyatko, S.G. Davydov. M.: Online Market Intelligence LLC, 2016, p. 417-430.
18. Rozhdestvenskaya E.Yu. “Qualitative online methods” (in Russian), In: Online serveys in Russia: trends and prospects, ed. by: A.V. Shashkin, I.F. Devyatko, S.G. Davydov. M.: Online Market Intelligence LLC, 2016, p. 391-416. EDN: XRQXAZ.
19. Belanovsky S.A., Nikolskaya A.V. To the Discussion on Focus Groups (in Russian), Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social'nye peremeny (Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes), 2022, no. 3, p. 373-393. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2022.3.1994. EDN: OLFZAP.
20. Zdravomyslova E.A., Yarskaya Smirnova E.R., Omelchenko E.L., Shteynberg I.E. Where Does the Qualitative Methodology Go? Collective Discussion (in Russian), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2022, vol. 14. no. 1. p. 9-32. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2022.14.1.1. EDN: USZYKK.
21. Bagina Y.A., Govorova A.D., Naryan S.K. Tandem Interviewing in Qualitative Research (in Russian), Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social'nye peremeny (Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes), 2021, no. 4. p. 53-76. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2021.4.1986. EDN: BPKUWU.
22. Vaisburg A.V. Using Electronic Interviews in Modern Sociological Research:Opportunities, Problems, and Prospects (in Russian), Vestnik ekonomiki, prava i sociologii (Bulletin of Economics, Law and Sociology), 2020, no. 1, p. 109-111. EDN: EKWNHL.
23. Chudova I.A., Chernyshova E.A., Pirotskaya A.V. Online interview in studies of online communication: methodical reflections (in Russian), Sotsiologiya 4M (Sociology: methodology, methods, mathematical modeling), 2017, no. 44, p. 73-110. EDN: YMAFTH.
24. Chen P., Hinton S.M. Realtime interviewing using theworld wide web, Sociological Research Online, 1999, vol. 4, no. 3, p. 63-81. DOI: 10.5153/sro.308.
25. Lobe B. Integration of online research methods. Faculty of Social Sciences. 2008. ISBN: 978-961-235-319-3.
26. Self B. Conducting Interviews During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond (in Russian, transl. from English: A.P. Ryazantsev), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2021, vol. 13. no. 4. p. 9-27. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2021.13.4.1. EDN: LJCXWV.
27. Newman P., Guta A., Black T. Ethical Considerations for Qualitative Research Methods During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Emergency Situations: Navigating the Virtual Field, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2021, vol. 20, no. 1, p. 1-12. DOI: 10.1177/16094069211047823. EDN: RDLTAX.
28. Rogozin D.M. Interview Completion Protocol (in Russian). Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2023, vol. 15. no. 4. p. 115-124. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2023.15.4.6. EDN: AQONVJ.
29. Savinskaya O.B. INTER-Encyclopedia: Interviewing Children (in Russian), Interakciya. Interv'yu. Interpretaciya (Interaction. Interview. Interpretation), 2023, vol. 15. no. 1. p. 95-103. DOI: 10.19181/inter.2023.15.1.5. EDN: BYLIOU.
30. Yudina M.A. The Impact of Digitalization on Social Inequality (in Russian), Uroven' zhizni naseleniya regionov Rossii (Living Standards of the Population in the Regions of Russia), 2020, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 97-108. DOI: 10.19181/lsprr.2020.16.1.10.
31. Jenner B.M., Myers K.C. Intimacy, rapport, and exceptional disclosure: a comparison of in-person and mediated interview contexts, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2018, vol. 22, no. 2, p. 165-177. DOI: 10.1080/13645579.2018.1512694.
32. Lobe B., Morgan D., Hoffman K. Qualitative Data Collection in an Era of Social Distancing, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2020, vol. 19, no. 2, p. 1-8. DOI: 10.1177/1609406920937875.
33. Oliffe J.L., Kelly M.T., Gonzalez Montaner G., Yu Ko W.F. Zoom Interviews: Benefits and Concessions, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2021, vol. 20, p. 1-8. DOI: 10.1177/16094069211053522. EDN: EYAMVT.
34. Rozhdestvenskaya E. Yu. Interviewing the Elite and Celebrities: A Comparative Analysis of Methodological Opportunities and Limitations (in Russian), Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes, 2021, no. 5. p. 64-91. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2021.5.1988. EDN: FKBUMP.
35. Chernova Z.V. Methodological Aspects of Expert Interviews: Approaches, Opportunities, and Limitations (in Russian), Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social'nye peremeny (Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes), 2023, no. 5, p. 74-90. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2023.5.2418. EDN: GEALNB.
Article
Received: 15.07.2024
Accepted: 23.12.2024
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APA
Popov, D. S. (2024). How to choose an application for conducting online interviews? Methodical recommendations. Sociology: Methodology, Methods, Mathematical Modeling (Sociology: 4M), (58), 130-157. https://doi.org/10.19181/4m.2024.33.1.5
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