Is there a bias against telephone interviews in qualitative research
TL;DR: Research is needed comparing these modalities, and examining their impact on data quality and their use for studying varying topics and populations, to contribute evidence-based guidelines for optimizing interview data.
Abstract: Telephone interviews are largely neglected in the qualitative research literature and, when discussed, they are often depicted as a less attractive alternative to face-to-face interviewing. The absence of visual cues via telephone is thought to result in loss of contextual and nonverbal data and to compromise rapport, probing, and interpretation of responses. Yet, telephones may allow respondents to feel relaxed and able to disclose sensitive information, and evidence is lacking that they produce lower quality data. This apparent bias against telephone interviews contrasts with a growing interest in electronic qualitative interviews. Research is needed comparing these modalities, and examining their impact on data quality and their use for studying varying topics and populations. Such studies could contribute evidence-based guidelines for optimizing interview data.
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TL;DR: In this paper, spoken interaction in semi-structured qualitative research interviews, comparing those that are conducted by telephone or face-to-face, has been studied, drawing upon recent empirical researc...
Abstract: This article considers spoken interaction in semi-structured qualitative research interviews, comparing those that are conducted by telephone or face-to-face. It draws upon recent empirical researc...
592 citations
Cites background from "Is there a bias against telephone i..."
...However, like Novick (2008), Opdenakker recognizes that the importance of these non-verbal cues may vary depending on the research objectives....
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...…and also a number of published researcher accounts of first-hand experiences (Carr and Worth, 2001; Chapple, 1999; Dicker and Gilbert, 1988; Holt, 2010; Stephens, 2007; Sturges and Hanrahan, 2004; Sweet, 2002; Tausig and Freeman, 1988) and overview or review articles (Burnard, 1994; Novick, 2008)....
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...Contributions have come from instructional (mainly introductory) text books and also a number of published researcher accounts of first-hand experiences (Carr and Worth, 2001; Chapple, 1999; Dicker and Gilbert, 1988; Holt, 2010; Stephens, 2007; Sturges and Hanrahan, 2004; Sweet, 2002; Tausig and Freeman, 1988) and overview or review articles (Burnard, 1994; Novick, 2008)....
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TL;DR: Being younger and possessing more education was associated with greater eHealth literacy among baby boomers and older adults and females and those highly educated, particularly at the post graduate level, reported greater use of Web 2.0 for health information.
Abstract: Background: Baby boomers and older adults, a subset of the population at high risk for chronic disease, social isolation, and poor health outcomes, are increasingly utilizing the Internet and social media (Web 2.0) to locate and evaluate health information. However, among these older populations, little is known about what factors influence their eHealth literacy and use of Web 2.0 for health information. Objective: The intent of the study was to explore the extent to which sociodemographic, social determinants, and electronic device use influences eHealth literacy and use of Web 2.0 for health information among baby boomers and older adults. Methods: A random sample of baby boomers and older adults (n=283, mean 67.46 years, SD 9.98) participated in a cross-sectional, telephone survey that included the eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) and items from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) assessing electronic device use and use of Web 2.0 for health information. An independent samples t test compared eHealth literacy among users and non-users of Web 2.0 for health information. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between sociodemographic, social determinants, and electronic device use on self-reported eHealth literacy and use of Web 2.0 for seeking and sharing health information. Results: Almost 90% of older Web 2.0 users (90/101, 89.1%) reported using popular Web 2.0 websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to find and share health information. Respondents reporting use of Web 2.0 reported greater eHealth literacy (mean 30.38, SD 5.45, n=101) than those who did not use Web 2.0 (mean 28.31, SD 5.79, n=182), t 217.60 =−2.98, P =.003. Younger age ( b =−0.10), more education ( b =0.48), and use of more electronic devices ( b =1.26) were significantly associated with greater eHealth literacy ( R 2 =.17, R 2 adj =.14, F 9,229 =5.277, P <.001). Women were nearly three times more likely than men to use Web 2.0 for health information (OR 2.63, Wald= 8.09, df=1, P =.004). Finally, more education predicted greater use of Web 2.0 for health information, with college graduates (OR 2.57, Wald= 3.86, df =1, P =.049) and post graduates (OR 7.105, Wald= 4.278, df=1, P =.04) nearly 2 to 7 times more likely than non-high school graduates to use Web 2.0 for health information. Conclusions: Being younger and possessing more education was associated with greater eHealth literacy among baby boomers and older adults. Females and those highly educated, particularly at the post graduate level, reported greater use of Web 2.0 for health information. More in-depth surveys and interviews among more diverse groups of baby boomers and older adult populations will likely yield a better understanding regarding how current Web-based health information seeking and sharing behaviors influence health-related decision making. [J Med Internet Res 2015;17(3):e70]
484 citations
Cites background from "Is there a bias against telephone i..."
...The absence of visual and social cues may have also resulted in the loss of contextual and nonverbal data (eg, body language), which could have compromised responses and response interpretation [71]....
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TL;DR: The conclusion is that, although VoIP mediated interviews cannot completely replace face to face interaction, they work well as a viable alternative or complimentary data collection tool for qualitative researchers.
Abstract: Internet based methods of communication are becoming increasingly important and influencing researchers’ options. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technologies (such as Skype and FaceTime) provi...
393 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue in favour of a medium that has generally been second-rated in qualitative research, and establish telephone interviews as an equally viable option to other established methods of qualitative data collection.
Abstract: Purpose – The telephone has been widely used to conduct quantitative research in diverse fields of study, generally using survey methodology. However, comparatively very few qualitative studies opt for this means of data collection. The purpose of this paper is to argue in favour of a medium that has generally been second‐rated in qualitative research. It aims at establishing telephone interviews as an equally viable option to other established methods of qualitative data collection.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is informed by the authors’ experience of using this method, as well as the limited number of previous research articles presented on the topic. It discusses its specific strengths and limitations, drawing on a conducted longitudinal study to illustrate key points. Its application to particular qualitative analysis methods, in view of the acknowledged requirements for each of these approaches, is also presented.Findings – Telephone conversations naturally follow an agenda‐driven format ...
316 citations
Cites background from "Is there a bias against telephone i..."
...Of particular importance is the common perception shared amongst researchers that the lack of physical presence and visual cues inhibit the much required rapport-building process, the exploration through probing and maintenance of the conversation (Novick, 2008)....
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TL;DR: This study performed the first quantitative, medium-N analysis of snowball sampling to identify pathways to sample diversity, analysing 211 reach-outs conducted via snowball sampling, resulting in 81 interviews; these interviews were administered for a research project on anti-dam movements in Southeast Asia.
Abstract: Snowball sampling is a commonly employed sampling method in qualitative research; however, the diversity of samples generated via this method has repeatedly been questioned. Scholars have posited several anecdotally based recommendations for enhancing the diversity of snowball samples. In this study, we performed the first quantitative, medium-N analysis of snowball sampling to identify pathways to sample diversity, analysing 211 reach-outs conducted via snowball sampling, resulting in 81 interviews; these interviews were administered between April and August 2015 for a research project on anti-dam movements in Southeast Asia. Based upon this analysis, we were able to refine and enhance the previous recommendations (e.g., showcasing novel evidence on the value of multiple seeds or face-to-face interviews). This paper may thus be of particular interest to scholars employing or intending to employ snowball sampling.
261 citations
References
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TL;DR: The discipline and practice of qualitative research have been extensively studied in the literature as discussed by the authors, including the work of Denzin and Denzin, and their history in sociology and anthropology, as well as the role of women in qualitative research.
Abstract: Introduction - Norman K Denzin and Yvonna S Lincoln The Discipline and Practice of Qualitative Research PART ONE: LOCATING THE FIELD Qualitative Methods - Arthur J Vidich and Stanford M Lyman Their History in Sociology and Anthropology Reconstructing the Relationships between Universities and Society through Action Research - Davydd J Greenwood and Morten Levin For Whom? Qualitative Research, Representations and Social Responsibilities - Michelle Fine et al Ethics and Politics in Qualitative Research - Clifford G Christians PART TWO: PARADIGMS AND PERSPECTIVES IN TRANSITION Paradigmatic Controversies, Contradictions and Emerging Confluences - Yvonna S Lincoln and Egon G Guba Three Epistemological Stances for Qualitative Inquiry - Thomas A Schwandt Interpretivism, Hermeneutics and Social Constructionism Feminisms and Qualitative Research at and into the Millennium - Virginia L Olesen Racialized Discourses and Ethnic Epistemologies - Gloria Ladson-Billings Rethinking Critical Theory and Qualitative Research - Joe L Kincheloe and Peter McLaren Cultural Studies - John Frow and Meaghan Morris Sexualities, Queer Theory and Qualitative Research - Joshua Gamson PART THREE: STRATEGIES OF INQUIRY The Choreography of Qualitative Research Design - Valerie J Janesick Minuets, Improvisations and Crystallization An Untold Story? Doing Funded Qualitative Research - Julianne Cheek Performance Ethnography - Michal M McCall A Brief History and Some Advice Case Studies - Robert E Stake Ethnography and Ethnographic Representation - Barbara Tedlock Analyzing Interpretive Practice - Jaber F Gubrium and James A Holstein Grounded Theory - Kathy Charmaz Objectivist and Constructivist Methods Undaunted Courage - William G Tierney Life History and the Postmodern Challenge Testimonio, Subalternity and Narrative Authority - John Beverley Participatory Action Research - Stephen Kemmis and Robin McTaggart Clinical Research - William L Miller and Benjamin F Crabtree PART FOUR: METHODS OF COLLECTING AND ANALYZING EMPIRICAL MATERIALS The Interview - Andrea Fontana and James H Frey From Structured Questions to Negotiated Text Rethinking Observation - Michael V Angrosino and Kimberly A Mays de Perez From Method to Context The Interpretation of Documents and Material Culture - Ian Hodder Re-Imagining Visual Methods - Douglas Harper Galileo to Neuromancer Auto-Ethnography, Personal Narrative, Reflexivity - Carolyn Ellis and Arthur P Bochner Researcher as Subject Data Management and Analysis Methods - Gery W Ryan and H Russell Bernard Software and Qualitative Research - Eben A Weitzman Analyzing Talk and Text - David Silverman Focus Groups in Feminist Research - Esther Madriz Applied Ethnography - Erve Chambers PART FIVE: THE ART AND PRACTICES OF INTERPRETATION, EVALUATION AND REPRESENTATION The Problem of Criteria in the Age of Relativism - John K Smith and Deborah K Deemer The Practices and Politics of Interpretation - Norman K Denzin Writing - Laurel Richardson A Method of Inquiry Anthropological Poetics - Ivan Brady Understanding Social Programs through Evaluation - Jennifer C Greene Influencing the Policy Process with Qualitative Research - Ray C Rist PART SIX: THE FUTURE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Qualitative Inquiry - Mary M Gergen and Kenneth J Gergen Tensions and Transformations The Seventh Moment - Yvonna S Lincoln and Norman K Denzin Out of the Past
26,318 citations
"Is there a bias against telephone i..." refers background in this paper
...In a chapter on interviewing in Denzin and Lincoln’s 1,126 page anthology The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, Fontana and Frey (2005) referred only in passing to telephone use for surveys, yet they offered a full page on issues related to electronic interviews....
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Book•
01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: Creswell as mentioned in this paper explores the philosophical underpinnings, history and key elements of five qualitative inquiry traditions: biography, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography and case study.
Abstract: This book explores the philosophical underpinnings, history and key elements of five qualitative inquiry traditions: biography, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography and case study. John W Creswell relates research designs to each of the traditions of inquiry and compares each of the research strategies for theoretical frameworks, writing introduction to studies, collecting data, analyzing data, writing the narrative, and employing standards of quality and verifying results. Five journal articles in the appendix offer fascinating reading as well as examples of the five different qualitative designs.
23,020 citations
"Is there a bias against telephone i..." refers background in this paper
...But the widespread use of recording devices (Bernard, 2002; Creswell, 1998), as well as the burgeoning use of the Internet for qualitative interviews (Beck, 2005; Egan, Chenoweth, & McAuliffe, 2006; Fontana & Frey, 2005; Hamilton & Bowers, 2006; Mann & Stewart, 2003; McAuliffe, 2003; Meho, 2006), suggest that the use of technology is actually well-accepted in qualitative research....
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...Another reported disadvantage is that telephone interviews must be kept short compared to face-to-face interviews (Chapple, 1999; Creswell, 1998; Garbett & McCormack; Sturges & Hanrahan; Sweet, 2002), thereby reducing in-depth discussion....
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...Natural settings are sometimes discouraged for more formal interviews to decrease environmental distractions (Creswell, 1998), suggesting that context can sometimes interfere with collecting interview data....
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...Absence of visual cues is said to have a number of effects, including the loss of informal communication and contextual information, the inability to develop rapport or to probe, and the misinterpretation of responses (Chapple, 1999; Creswell, 1998; Opdenakker, 2006; Sturges & Hanrahan, 2004; Sweet, 2002)....
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Book•
01 Jan 1991
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the literature and conduct ethical studies in social research and the politics of social research in the context of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, and concluded that the need for qualitative and quantitative data is critical for social science research.
Abstract: IN THIS SECTION: 1.) BRIEF 2.) COMPREHENSIVE BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I Foundations Chapter 1 Why Do Research? Chapter 2 What Are the Major Types of Social Research? Chapter 3 Theory and Research Chapter 4 The Meanings of Methodology Chapter 5 How to Review the Literature and Conduct Ethical Studies Part II Planning and Preparation Chapter 6 Strategies of Research Design Chapter 7 Qualitative and Quantitative Measurement Chapter 8 Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling Part III Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis Chapter 9 Experimental Research Chapter 10 Survey Research Chapter 11 Nonreactive Research and Secondary Analysis Chapter 12 Analysis of Quantitative Data Part IV Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis Chapter 13 Field Research and Focus Group Research Chapter 14 Historical-Comparative Research Chapter 15 Analysis of Qualitative Data Part V Communicating with Others Chapter 16 Writing the Research Report and the Politics of Social Research COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I Foundations Chapter 1 Why Do Research? Alternatives to Social Science Research What Research Involves: A Scientific Approach Varieties of Social Research Steps in the Research Process Why Learn How to Conduct Social Research Chapter 2 What Are the Major Types of Social Research? Use and Audience of Research Purpose of Research Within or Across Case Single or Multiple Points in Time Data Collection Techniques Chapter 3 Theory and Research What Is Theory? Social Theory versus Ideology The Parts of Theory Chapter 4 The Meanings of Methodology Philosophical Foundations The Three Approaches Positivist Social Science Interpretative Social Science Critical Social Science Feminist and Postmodern Research Chapter 5 How to Review the Literature and Conduct Ethical Studies The Literature Review Ethics in Social Research Part II Planning and Preparation Chapter 6 Strategies of Research Design Triangulation Qualitative and Quantitative Orientations Toward Research Qualitative Design Issues Quantitative Design Issues Chapter 7 Qualitative and Quantitative Measurement The Need for Measurement Quanitative and Qualtitative Measurement The Measurement Process Reliability and Validity A Guide to Quantitative Measurement Scales and Indexes Chapter 8 Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling Reasons for Sampling Sampling Strategies Part III Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis Chapter 9 Experimental Research Appropriate Technique A Short History of the Experiment Random Assignment Experimental Design Logic Internal and External Validity Practical Considerations Results of Experimental Research: Making Comparisons A Word on Ethics Chapter 10 Survey Research A History of Survey Research The Logic of Survey Research Construction of the Questionnaire Types of Surveys: Advantages and Disadvantages Survey Interviewing The Ethical Survey Chapter 11 Nonreactive Research and Secondary Analysis Nonreactive Measurement Content Analysis Existing Statistics/Documents and Secondary Analysis Secondary Analysis of Survey Data Issues of Inference and Theory Testing Ethical Concerns Chapter 12 Analysis of Quantitative Data Dealing with Data Results with One Variable Results with Two Variables More than Two Variables Inferential Statistics Part IV Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis Chapter 13 Field Research and Focus Group Research Understanding Field Research The Field Research Interview Data Quality Ethical Dilemmas of Field Research Focus Group Research Chapter 14 Historical-Comparative Research A Short History of Historical-Comparative Research Research Questions Appropriate for Historical-Comparative Research The Logic of Historical-Comparative Research Steps in Conducting a Historical-Comparative Research Project Data and Evidence in Historical Context Comparative Research Equivalence in Historical-Comparative Research Ethics Chapter 15 Analysis of Qualitative Data Comparison of Methods of Data Analysis Coding and Concept Formation Analytic Strategies for Qualitative Data Other Techniques Part V Communicating with Others Chapter 16 Writing the Research Report and the Politics of Social Research The Research Report The Politics of Social Research Objectivity and Value Freedom Appendix: Table of Randomly Selected Five Digit Numbers Bibliography Name Index Subject Index
18,682 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2002
TL;DR: In this paper, conceptual issues and themes on qualitative research and evaluaton methods including: qualitative data, triangulated inquiry, qualitative inquiry, constructivism, constructionism, complexity (chaos) theory, qualitative designs and data collection, fieldwork strategies, interviewing, tape-recording, ethical issues, analysis, interpretation and reporting, observations vs. perceived impacts and utilisation-focused evaluation reporting.
Abstract: This book explains clearly conceptual issues and themes on qualitative research and evaluaton methods including: qualitative data, triangulated inquiry, qualitative inquiry, constructivism, constructionism, Complexity (chaos) theory, qualitative designs and data collection, fieldwork strategies, interviewing, tape-recording, ethical issues, analysis, interpretation and reporting, observations vs. perceived impacts and utilisation-focused evaluation reporting.
13,768 citations
Book•
02 Aug 1995
TL;DR: This book discusses the design and implementation of the Responsive Interviewing Model, and some of the techniques used, as well as personal reflections on Responsive interviewing.
Abstract: Chapter 1. Listening, Hearing, and Sharing Chapter 2. Research Philosophy and Qualitative Interviews Chapter 3. Qualitative Data Gathering Methods and Style Chapter 4. Designing Research for the Responsive Interviewing Model Chapter 5. Designing for Quality Chapter 6. Conversational Partnerships Chapter 7. The Responsive Interview as an Extended Conversation Chapter 8. Structure of the Responsive Interview Chapter 9. Designing Main Questions and Probes Chapter 10. Preparing Follow-Up Questions Chapter 11. Variants of the Responsive Interviewing Model Chapter 12. Data Analysis in the Responsive Interviewing Model Chapter 13. Sharing the Results Chapter 14. Personal Reflections on Responsive Interviewing
8,666 citations