Virtual interviews have gained prominence among researchers from various fields as an effective method for qualitative data collection. The Covid-19 pandemic – with its movement restrictions, isolation measures and the contagious nature of the virus – has driven the transition from traditional face-to-face interviews to virtual or remote interviews using voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technologies such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

The rise of remote work during the pandemic has solidified virtual interviews (VIs) as a key method for data collection. VIs closely resemble traditional in-person interviews, involving tasks such as recruiting suitable interviewees and scheduling interviews to avoid conflicts. Relying on VIs also requires a basic level of technological proficiency, including familiarity with computer or mobile phone operation.

The use of technology in virtual interviews is not new in qualitative research and has been considered a viable alternative to in-person interviews (Nehls et al., 2015; Sah et al., 2020). Scholars agree that the ethical considerations for virtual qualitative research are similar to those of in-person research (Roberts et al., 2021). However, VIs introduce an additional layer of security to verify the identities of both the interviewer and interviewee, ensuring the intended individuals participate and that the interview is conducted on a secure network to prevent data breaches.

‘Virtual interviews introduce an additional layer of security to verify the identities of both the interviewer and interviewee, ensuring the intended individuals participate and that the interview is conducted on a secure network to prevent data breaches.’

A set of ten fundamental principles has been proposed to ensure successful virtual interviews for both interviewees and interviewers (Chan et al., 2021). These principles are universally applicable and cover both human and technical aspects, including maintaining professionalism, addressing technology usability, creating a conducive environment, managing environmental factors, adopting a dual-role perspective, meticulous planning, clear communication, active engagement, flexibility, and the use of follow-up emails for gratitude or clarification.

Benefits of virtual interviews

Virtual interviews offer several advantages, highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic. They provide scheduling flexibility, eliminate the need for physical travel, reduce time constraints, and mitigate health risks. One key benefit is the natural recording and transcription capabilities of certain software packages such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams (Singh et al., 2022). These platforms also provide alerts to remind participants of upcoming sessions. VIs have facilitated participation for individuals with mobility challenges and have streamlined international research involving locations with restricted access (Saarijärvi & Bratt, 2021).

Challenges of virtual interviews for both interviewers and interviewees

Despite their advantages, virtual interviews pose challenges that require investments in high-quality technology, testing and user training (Gray et al., 2020). They sometimes lack the non-verbal cues and body language essential for capturing lived experiences. Bias and engagement are significant challenges, as interviewees often participate from their comfortable environments, which may display personal artefacts or symbols such as political or religious paraphernalia. This comfort zone can lead to distractions, affecting response quality. Additionally, the auto-transcription feature offered by VIs may not always be accurate, and interviewers may become less familiar with the data (Sah et al., 2020).

Exploring the future of virtual interviews

A promising avenue for research is investigating how factors such as artificial intelligence, ergonomics, spatial disparities and virtual augmented reality may impact VoIP in virtual interview technologies across diverse geographical locations.

References

Chan, D., Fitzsimmons, C. M., Mandler, M. D., & Batista, P. J. (2021). Ten simple rules for acing virtual interviews. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(6), e1009057. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009057

Gray, L. M., Wong-Wylie, G., Rempel, G. R., & Cook, K. (2020). Expanding qualitative research interviewing strategies: Zoom video communications. The Qualitative Report, 25(5), 1292–1301. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4212

Nehls, K., Smith, B. D., & Schneider, H. (2015). Video-conferencing interviews in qualitative research. In S. Hai-Jew (Ed.), Enhancing qualitative and mixed methods research with technology (pp. 140–157). IGI Global.

Roberts, J. K., Pavlakis, A. E., & Richards, M. P. (2021). It’s more complicated than it seems: Virtual qualitative research in the COVID-19 era. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211002959

Saarijärvi, M., & Bratt, E. L. (2021). When face-to-face interviews are not possible: Tips and tricks for video, telephone, online chat, and email interviews in qualitative research. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 20(4), 392–396. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvab038

Sah, L. K., Singh, D. R., & Sah, R. K. (2020). Conducting qualitative interviews using virtual communication tools amid COVID-19 pandemic: A learning opportunity for future research. Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 58(232), 1103–1106. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.5738

Singh, H., Tang, T., Thombs, R., Armas, A., Nie, J. X., Nelson, M. L., & Gray, C. S. (2022). Methodological insights from a virtual, team-based rapid qualitative method applied to a study of providers’ perspectives of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on hospital-to-home transitions. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 16094069221107144. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221107144