Data-prompted interviews: Using individual ecological data to stimulate narratives and explore meanings.

Area of Science:

• Qualitative Research Methods
• Health Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Emerging trend in qualitative research involves using individual participant data to stimulate interview narratives.
• The data-prompted interview (DPI) is a method that leverages personal data to enhance qualitative data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the data-prompted interview (DPI) method.
• To highlight the potential benefits and challenges of using DPI in qualitative research.

Main Methods:

• DPIs utilize personal ecological data (e.g., photos, videos, graphs) collected before the interview.
• Data can be gathered by researchers or generated by participants, potentially using ecological momentary assessment.
• Stimuli prompt discussion, enhance memory, and guide participants' reflections.

Main Results:

• DPIs stimulate sensory engagement (visual, auditory), improve memory recall, and elicit detailed narratives linked to personal experiences.
• Researchers can explore data meaning and patterns, while participants gain guidance for reflection.
• Challenges include data selection, presentation, analysis requiring joint interpretation of narratives and data, and ethical considerations like anonymity and sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• Integrating diverse data sources in interviews enhances memory and allows for meaningful assessment and analysis of data patterns.
• DPI provides a novel approach for exploring motivations behind health-related behaviors in health promotion and illness prevention contexts.