Applying a Digital Ethnographic Tool Into a Data Triangulation and Trustworthiness of Microfinance Over-Indebtedness Study in Bangladesh During COVID-19

Abstract

Microfinance has been a silver bullet with a noble goal of assisting impoverished people by providing small loans. Lately, claims are coming that MFIs abandon their social objective and focus more on financial sustainability. Most of the impact assessment of microfinance is based on randomized control trial (RCT) and conventional econometrics approaches. Only a very few impacts of microfinance loans have been evaluated using qualitative methodology that significantly present an in-depth understanding of the issue of over-indebtedness and its consequences. The outbreak of COVID-19 and movement restriction made it difficult to contact the respondents to collect in-depth data. Moreover, data triangulation and trustworthiness have also became challenging. Under such circumstances, the researcher has to rely on digital means. The digital methodological approach could successfully be utilized due to the rapid expansion of internet and smartphone. Nevertheless, the question remains as to what extent the digital platform can be trusted.