Data Collection via In-Depth Email Interviewing: Lessons From the Field.

Area of Science:

• Qualitative Research Methods
• Sociology
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Email interviewing is an emerging method for qualitative data collection.
• Existing literature lacks detailed guidance on managing concurrent email interviews and eliciting quality data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reflect on the practical application of in-depth email interviewing in a qualitative descriptive study.
• To provide insights into eliciting quality data and managing multiple concurrent email interviews.
• To share lessons learned from a field journal kept during an email interviewing study.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study employing in-depth email interviews.
• Methodological reflection based on practical experience.
• Analysis of field journal excerpts and commentary on developing insights.

Main Results:

• Key considerations for successful email interviewing include logistics and timing for managing multiple interviews.
• Effective elicitation of data requires careful attention to language and email construction.
• Text-based data processing and transcript preparation are critical steps.

Conclusions:

• In-depth email interviewing is a viable method for qualitative researchers.
• This method is particularly useful for obtaining deeply reflective answers and accessing geographically diverse samples.
• Attention to methodological details enhances the quality of data obtained through email interviews.