Biographical research through the looking glass of social distancing: Reflections on biographical interviewing and online technologies in pandemic times

Abstract

This paper asks critical questions about biographical interviewing during the coronavirus disease 2019 era and the age of social distancing. How do we ‘do’ biographical research when we are more physically distant from interview participants than ever before? What kinds of challenges and issues emerge when doing biographical research in online spaces? How do we form rapport and strong trusting bonds with interviewees in the current context? This paper provides a critical commentary on these questions, focusing on the limitations and possibilities of online interviewing during pandemic times.

Perspectives of older women in the Netherlands: identifying motivators and barriers for healthy lifestyles and determinants of healthy aging

“…The digital nature of the interviews could have caused some bias in our results, since the surroundings and body language are harder to read, which can influence the depth and results of the interviews [60]. However, it could have also caused a more in depth and easy conversation, since it is held from their homes, which provides a comfortable situation [60]. Indeed, all participants were positive about the digital nature, although setting up could take some time.…”

“…More importantly, when analyzing the results, no clear differences emerged across educational levels. The digital nature of the interviews could have caused some bias in our results, since the surroundings and body language are harder to read, which can influence the depth and results of the interviews [60]. However, it could have also caused a more in depth and easy conversation, since it is held from their homes, which provides a comfortable situation [60].…”

“…The digital nature of the interviews might have caused participation bias, since higher educated women are more likely to be able to use Zoom or digital interviews [60]. However, purpose sampling for lower educated older women, together with allowing phone interviews, enabled us to include them in our study [60]. More importantly, when analyzing the results, no clear differences emerged across educational levels.…”

“…It should be noted that there were less Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch women than native Dutch women included in our study, although a high level of data saturation was reached. The digital nature of the interviews might have caused participation bias, since higher educated women are more likely to be able to use Zoom or digital interviews [60]. However, purpose sampling for lower educated older women, together with allowing phone interviews, enabled us to include them in our study [60].…”

Barriers and facilitators for participation in workplace health promotion programs: results from peer-to-peer interviews among employees

“…In online interviewing it might be more difficult to connect when body language is limited and poor network connections can interrupt the interviews (Moran and Caetano 2021). However, advantages and positive reactions on online interviewing have been reported, which indicates that online interviewing is an appropriate option to yield qualitative data (Gray et al 2020;Moran and Caetano 2021). Reported advantages of online interviewing are accessibility and flexibility and participants are interviewed in their own chosen space.…”