Collecting data via instant messaging interview and face-to-face interview: the two authors reflections

Abstract

The rise of digital communication has not only affected the way people in societies interact but also, it offers opportunities for researchers to interact with research participants. In previous years when telephone and email became the trending mode of communication, researchers started to employ telephone and email as the new tools for data collection. Nowadays, many people engage with instant messaging communication. Hence, this form of communication is an opportunity for researchers to explore as a mode for interview data collection. Nonetheless, instant messaging and face-to-face interactions are different in nature. Hence, it is worth understanding the affordances and the challenges of employing instant messaging interview (IMI) in comparison to face-to-face interview (FTFI) data collection mode. This paper draws on two authors’ experiences of collecting qualitative data via IMI and FTFI. Findings of the study show that IMI and FTFI offer different affordances in the planning, executing and processing of data collection. The insights from the encounters inform other qualitative researchers in making decisions regarding the best methods available for their studies.

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ORCID for John Woollard: orcid.org/0000-0002-4518-0784

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