Online Qualitative Research Research Articles

Addressing fraudulent responses in quantitative and qualitative internet research: case studies from body image and appearance research

ABSTRACT The rise of online research methods has expanded the scope of research globally and has made research more inclusive. However, it has also led to a surge in fraudulent research participation, with individuals and bots infiltrating studies for personal gain or disruption. This is of particular concern in mental health studies, as fraudulent responses jeopardize interventions and care efforts. This paper addresses these challenges, presenting case studies from psychological research. The urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of fraudulent responses in both quantitative and qualitative online research is emphasized, urging the research community to confront and mitigate this issue effectively.

Navigating the challenges of imposter participants in online qualitative research: lessons learned from a paediatric health services study

BackgroundThe growth in online qualitative research and data collection provides several advantages for health service researchers and participants, including convenience and extended geographic reach. However, these online processes can also present unexpected challenges, including instances of participant fraud or scam behaviour. This study describes an incident of participant fraud identified during online focus group discussions and interviews for a PhD health services research project on paediatric neurodevelopmental care.MethodsWe aimed to recruit carers of Australian children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Potential participants were recruited via a publicly available social media advert on Facebook offering $50 AUD compensation. Those who expressed interest via email (n = 254) were sent a pre-interview Qualtrics survey to complete. We identified imposters at an early stage via inconsistencies in their self-reported geographical location and that captured by the survey as well as recognition of suspicious actions before, during and after focus group discussions and interviews.ResultsInterest in participation was unexpectedly high. We determined that all potential participants were likely imposters, posing as multiple individuals and using different IP addresses across Nigeria, Australia, and the United States. In doing so, we were able to characterise several “red flags” for identifying imposter participants, particularly those posing as multiple individuals. These comprise a combination of factors including large volumes and strange timings of email responses, unlikely demographic characteristics, short or vague interviews, a preference for nonvisual participation, fixation on monetary compensation, and inconsistencies in reported geographical location. Additionally, we propose several strategies to combat this issue such as providing proof of location or eligibility during recruitment and data collection, examining email and consent form patterns, and comparing demographic data with regional statistics.ConclusionsThe emergent risk of imposter participants is an important consideration for those seeking to conduct health services research using qualitative approaches in online environments. Methodological design choices intended to improve equity and access for the target population may have an unintended consequence of improving access for fraudulent actors unless appropriate risk mitigation strategies are also employed. Lessons learned from this experience are likely to be valuable for novice health service researchers involved in online focus group discussions and interviews.

Attitudes towards surgical safety checklists among American College of Veterinary Surgeons diplomates.

To examine attitudes towards surgical safety checklists (SSCs) among American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) diplomates and to identify barriers to implementation. Qualitative online research survey. A total of 1282 current ACVS diplomates. An anonymous online survey was distributed to current ACVS diplomates via email. ACVS diplomates were identified using publicly available data through the ACVS website. A total of 1282 surveys were electronically distributed, and respondents were given 4 weeks to respond. The survey consisted of 34 questions examining (1) demographic information, (2) current use of SSCs, (3) knowledge and attitudes towards SSCs, (4) perceived advantages and disadvantages to use of SSCs, (5) implementation strategies, and (6) potential reasons for noncompletion of SSCs. Survey response rate was 20% (257/1282). A total of 169 of 249 (67.9%) respondents indicated using SSCs. Respondents generally agreed that SSCs were proven to reduce surgical complications (196/249 [78.7%]) and did not perceive any disadvantages to use (100/138 [75.2%]). Respondents not using SSCs were more likely to perceive them as a waste of time (p < .001). The most common reasons for noncompletion of SSCs were forgetfulness (21/52 [39.6%]) and time constraints (19/52 [36.5%]). Improved training (72/138 [52.2%]) and modifying the SSC based on staff feedback (69/138 [50%]) were suggested as methods to improve SSC uptake. Respondents currently using SSCs were generally satisfied. Time constraints and memory related issues were common causes for noncompletion of SSCs. Efforts to expand the implementation of SSCs in veterinary surgery should focus on improved engagement of relevant stakeholders and modification of the SSC to suit local conditions.

Qualitative research in the metaverse, a primer

New technology can be a source of great optimism and a force for positive change in the research industry. As such, it is important to discuss the merits of emerging technology. In this research note, the emergent opportunity for qualitative research in the metaverse is discussed. This paper looks at how rich sensory virtual environments with multiple sensory modalities might help address some of the shortcomings of traditional online qualitative research. The importance of establishing social presence in virtual qualitative research is addressed. Then, how the metaverse might help remove some of the constraints of ‘big qual’ is debated. The potential for the metaverse to improve participant inclusivity is considered, before finally discussing the issue of research ethics in a decentralised virtual world.

En] Exploring safety and agency in social media: a case study of online crossdressing

Introduction. Are there safe spaces for the construction of online communities with diverse gender identities and sexual desires? What makes some online spaces safer than others? And for whom? Does the architecture of these spaces influence the ways in which users navigate the Internet? Methodology. To address these questions, we conducted a digital ethnography on a social media platform oriented towards the Spanish-speaking crossdresser community. Findings and analysis. Our analysis suggests that this platform acts as a digital counterpublic, as it allows users to inhabit a safe environment for self-expression, building support networks, organizing as a collective, and articulating their sexual intimacies. Based on these findings, we infer that online safety and agency are closely interrelated, the latter being a result of the first. In addition, we found that the concept of online safety should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the feminist perspective, where online safety is always construed in a situated manner and conceives the subjects of study as active agents involved in the definition of the concept itself. Ethical considerations. The research process raised ethical questions of great relevance to the conclusions of this study, suggesting that the same factors to be considered when conducting research in digital platforms should be contemplated when designing and navigating online safe spaces. We thus propose that, both in carrying out online qualitative research and in the construction of online safe spaces, the following aspects should be taken into consideration: the implications of the privacy settings offered by the platform, the vulnerability of the users that populate it, the sensitivity of the topics covered by the platform’s community and, last but not least, an ongoing negotiation and reaffirmation of consent in the utilization of the users’ personal data.

Outside the field, inside the home: lessons learned from adapting qualitative research strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis collaborative paper presents three case studies on four scholars' experiences with remote data collection. The authors highlight the challenges and strengths of online qualitative research across three disparate projects: an interdisciplinary exploration of matrilineal heritage, an examination of Irish women's sexual identity and an investigation of dress practices among Tz'utujil-Maya.Design/methodology/approachQualitative researchers traditionally go into the field to explore and understand social phenomena. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, while people faced the daily realities of a worldwide crisis from within their homes, remote data collection became a necessary strategy to pursue knowledge. As a result, researchers adapted to unknowns regarding recruiting, scheduling, technology, interviewing and analysis.FindingsParticipant and researcher experiences during the adaptation to remote interviewing yielded important lessons on research strategies.Originality/valueOutcomes from these studies highlight the potential value of online data collection alongside the necessity for flexibility in designing and conducting qualitative research.

More or less than human? Evaluating the role of AI-as-participant in online qualitative research

ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) has an increasing presence in scholarship, posing new challenges and opportunities for qualitative researchers. Generative AI, such as Chat-GPT, can supposedly produce humanlike responses, which has implications for online qualitative research, which relies on human participation. In this paper, we contribute to debates about AI as a research participant (‘AI-as-participant’) and the threat of imposter participation in qualitative research. We share our unexpected encounter with AI during our story completion study on mobile dating during the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how we identified AI responses within our dataset. Central to our analysis was our theoretical grounding of feminist new materialism, which attuned us to the affective and discursive qualities of our participant data. Using our theoretical lens, in tandem with other strategies, we examined the affective forces that signalled stark differences between previous, human-generated data and that of the current study. Analysing the discursive construction of narratives further alerted us to the absence of humans within our data. We conclude that AI cannot sufficiently replicate affect or capture the richness of human experience that is central to qualitative research, and offer recommendations for future researchers to anticipate and check for AI as an unwelcome research participant.

Young people’s engagement in online research: challenges and lessons from conducting focus groups with young people online

ABSTRACT Online qualitative focus groups are a method which has been increasingly used, especially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, including in research with young people. Studies have reflected upon the challenges of conducting online qualitative research with young people, often drawing on experiences from the pandemic’s earlier stages [e.g. Smithson et al. 2021; Woodrow et al. 2021]. This article reflects upon the challenges faced, and choices made, when conducting online focus groups with 80 young people aged 14–18 to study their democratic engagement during the later 2021 wave of the pandemic. It highlights specific issues around the method’s effectiveness in engaging young people who face different kinds of marginalisation from democratic processes. While online modes of delivery were positive for engaging some, including groups of geographically dispersed young people, they exacerbated existing inequalities for others: young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, from remote or rural areas and those with certain disabilities. Such inequalities in research participation can lead to variation in data quality, and therefore in the types of knowledge produced. Using these insights we outline a range of methodological and research design considerations for researchers when choosing whether to conduct online focus group research with young people.

Who can you trust these days?: Dealing with imposter participants during online recruitment and data collection

The use of digital technologies in qualitative research has been found to increase access and participation by minimizing geographical, scheduling, and financial barriers. However, discussions among the qualitative research community about the challenges of conducting research online and, specifically, what steps can be taken to mitigate “imposter participants” remain limited. Anchored in a critical disability studies perspective, in this field note paper, we discuss lessons learned in conducting online qualitative research and preserving data trustworthiness.

Preparing for data collection: the mock interview as a researcher’s training tool

ABSTRACT Background The research interview is a valuable tool for collecting data in qualitative studies. All education researchers, whether novice or experienced, need to prepare carefully when planning to conduct interviews. Thus, how best to assist newer researchers to acquire interviewing skills for the purpose of collecting research data remains an important question. Mock, or ‘practice’, interviews can offer opportunities for such researchers to become more familiar with the methodological processes involved in interviewing, so that they can start to build necessary skills prior to carrying out interviews in the field. Purpose Set in the context of nursing education, the research sought to describe the use of an online mock interview protocol as a researcher’s training tool and consider key lessons learnt from this process. Method In this qualitative study, seven purposively selected participants from a university in Australia were involved in a mock interview process. A video conferencing platform was utilised as an online environment for the interviews. Findings Analysis of the procedure indicated the ways in which carrying out the mock interviews supported the researcher’s preparation for qualitative interviewing and facilitated the development of good practice for conducting interviews in a virtual environment. Processes included undertaking a rigorous training needs analysis, optimising technical preparedness for the mock interviews, and practising how to ask interview questions in a suitable way. The experience involved learning lessons around self-evaluation, mental readiness, retrieving rich data and troubleshooting technical issues. Conclusion The research highlights the extent to which successful interviewing depends on the quality of pre-interview preparation on the part of the researcher. Conducting mock interviews prior to online qualitative research could help support less experienced researchers in areas of research including nursing education. Integration of mock interview protocols into curricula for educational research purposes could help provide research students with opportunities to strengthen their skills.

Mídia como um cenário de pedagogia crítica para promover letramentos de reexistência com professores de inglês em formação

Abstract This study aims to reveal how media, as a critical pedagogy scenario ( Apple, 1990; McLaren; Kincheloe, 2007), can promote reexistence literacies, through the development of resistance narratives ( Kleiman; Sito, 2016; Silva-Souza, Ana Lúcia, 2009). It is a Qualitative Online Research (QOR) ( Denzin; Lincoln, 2005) focused on the sociocritical paradigm ( Freire, 1970) and Young Participatory Action Research ( Mirra; Garcia; Morrell, 2015). We conducted this study through an online media course composed of 18 sessions, with 18 preservice English teachers from Universidade Federal do Piauí (located in the northeast of Brazil) and Universidad Católica Luis Amigó (located in Medellín, Colombia). The research evidences that: a) the majority of the pre-service English teachers reveal some lack of awareness concerning the critical use and consumption of information in communication means; b) the development of reexistence literacies occurs when the individuals are conscious and empower themselves in their scenarios to fight for a world with more justice and equity; c) Reexistence may occur when critical pedagogical practices of resistance are employed. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of using the media to question power structures, promote critical education for equity, and generate scenarios for the active participation of teachers and students to promote the development of reexistence literacies through resistance narratives.

Addressing fraudulent responses in online surveys: Insights from a web‐based participatory mapping study

Abstract Web‐based studies of human dimensions are increasing across environmental and socio‐ecological disciplines. However, the prevalence of fraud threatens research quality. Increased fraud rates should be expected as surveys move progressively more online, motivated by expanding reach, cost savings and/or in response to COVID‐19. Web‐based research must better account for fraud to maintain confidence in findings. Practical diagnostic tools and data quality protocols are required to detect fraud and ensure results quality. Drawing on our experience using an online participatory mapping case study, we discuss methods to detect potentially fraudulent responses—and identify some limitations. We begin by reviewing the current state of knowledge on fraudulent responses or ‘fraudsters’ and its relative absence in environmental and socio‐ecological disciplines. We then describe our research approach, the indicators and variables we used to detect and assess fraud and our decision‐making process to eliminate suspicious responses without jeopardizing research integrity. We found that despite several preventative measures, many fraudulent respondents could provide survey responses and effectively mimicked legitimate respondents at first glance. By assuming each response to be ‘potentially fraudulent’, we determined that the complete screening of each respondent, while time‐consuming, can limit the prevalence of fraud. We also determined that the most common data consistency checks (e.g. duration, trap questions and straight‐liner checks) are unlikely to guarantee valid respondents. If not acknowledged and addressed, fraud has the potential to undermine data integrity, discredit research findings and limit the utility of results for policy. This study contributes to environmental and socio‐ecological research by reviewing existing fraudster literature and using our experience with fraud to provide recommendations for researchers to address this problem. We encourage researchers implementing online qualitative research methods to thoroughly assess and report fraud, when possible, to ensure widespread knowledge of this growing threat. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Online qualitative research with disabled children and young people in Scotland: A reflection on its advantages and disadvantages, and how limitations were addressed

With the COVID-19 pandemic, online recruitment strategies and data generation processes have become popular in social science research. Although online and creative methods, such as digital photo elicitation, online interviews, and discussion forums are increasingly used in qualitative health research, their use with disabled children and young people is not well established. Drawing on the online methodological approach used for a qualitative study conducted with disabled children and young people in Scotland, exploring their experiences of accessing healthcare and other supports during the pandemic, we reflect on our concerns and learning in relation to a digital interviewing process. Limitations and challenges of online and digital methods were varied and partially addressed by both research subjects and researchers. A significant limitation entailed the digital divide, which meant that families without the equipment and connectivity might have had less opportunity to hear about the research and participate. However, an online approach minimised travel costs, facilitated interview data transcription and, most importantly, offered children and young people a variety of participative and digital tools to talk about their experiences. Our paper raises questions on the assumptions often made about the difficulty of doing research with disabled children and young people by highlighting the benefits of this approach. It also suggests that some limitations can be addressed by engaging in collaborative and creative work between research participants and researchers.

Online qualitative research with vulnerable populations in the Philippines: Ethical and methodological challenges during COVID-19

Our article draws on two multi-sited studies to present the ethical and methodological challenges of conducting online qualitative research among vulnerable populations in the Philippines—specifically, among people who use drugs—during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the global scholarship has long articulated the difficulties inherent to pursuing research on such populations, we show how the specific milieu of the Philippines in the last three years has created exceptional, structural challenges to the conduct of said research. Besides the inevitable migration to online fieldwork brought about by the pandemic, researchers have had to contend with the continuing sociopolitical and existential threat to vulnerable populations posed by the government's drug war. Such a milieu, we argue, has further restricted access to potential study participants; redefined notions of intimacy and safety in conducting virtual data collection; and rendered people in vulnerable circumstances “more vulnerable” amid a climate of pandemic-induced precarity and aggravated distrust in the state—all of which have compelled researchers to undertake necessary innovations to uphold quality and equity in online research. We conclude by highlighting the need to maintain networks of trust with vulnerable communities, compensate research participants justly, and safeguard the independence of research institutions and people's trust in them.

What is ethnographic about digital ethnography? A sociological perspective.

When COVID-19 health guidelines vastly restricted or shut down in-person ethnographic research in 2020, many researchers pivoted to forms of online qualitative research using platforms such as WeChat, Twitter, and Discord. This growing body of qualitative internet research in sociology is often encapsulated under the umbrella term "digital ethnography." But the question of what makes digital qualitative research ethnographic remains open. In this article, we posit that digital ethnographic research necessitates a negotiation of the ethnographer's self-presentation and co-presence within the field that other forms of qualitative research, such as content or discourse analysis, do not require to satisfy their epistemological stance. To make our case, we provide a brief overview of digital research in sociology and related disciplines. Then, we draw upon our experiences conducting ethnographies in digital communities and in-person communities (what we call here, "analog ethnography") to explore how decisions about self-presentation and co-presence facilitate or block the generation of meaningful ethnographic data. We think through pertinent questions such as: Does the lower barrier for anonymity online justify disguised research? Does anonymity generate thicker data? How should digital ethnographers participate in research environments? What are the possible repercussions of digital participation? We argue that digital and analog ethnographies share a common epistemology that is distinct from non-participatory forms of qualitative digital research-namely the need for the researcher to relationally gather data from the field site over an extended period of time.

Teachers and students’ perceptions about remote teaching in higher education: online qualitative research

This study analyses the impacts and challenges of emergency remote teaching in Higher Education institutions in Porto due to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. We carried out an exploratory study of a qualitative nature to analyze the perceptions of teachers and students about the digitalisation of the teaching and learning process in Higher Education. Data were collected through semi-structured online, synchronous interviews with ten professors, who accepted to participate, and balances of the lived experience written and made available on the Moodle Platform by ten students. Subsequently, content analysis and triangulation were carried out with the support of the Nvivo Software. The study revealed that remote teaching in Higher Education had an impact on reinforcing the training of teachers and students in using new technologies and on changing pedagogical practices. In addition, it can contribute to researchers' reflections on online data collection in qualitative research.

Critical Thinking and Conflict Resolution in a Political Youth Setting

Some circles have wondered if some of the recorded conflicts in Zimbabwe might not have been either averted or stopped had appropriate approaches and attitudes been adopted at various levels. Against this background, the study explores the place, feasibility and role of critical thinking in conflict resolution with particular focus on political youth setting in Zimbabwe. A qualitative online research was conducted with 44 youth drawn from Harare. The survey had questions about the youth’s understanding of critical thinking, respective application and its impact in conflict resolution processes. The study also analysed 10 selected court case verdicts drawn from the Zimbabwe courts between 1988 and 2015. The cases were selected because they relate to cases where the accused could have applied some critical thinking skills. To analyse data, SPSS was complimented with Narrative Content Analysis. The study was guided by the concept of reason and logic as enshrined in critical thinking. The study established that critical thinking is a new phenomenon yet to be appreciated by most youth. However, wherever applied, the phenomenon has helped ease the process and situation and helped analyse surrounding fundamentals.

Impact of cartoon images on kids and their parents buying behavior with reference to cheetos and kinder joy (muscat, oman)

This study was implemented to examine the impact of cartoon images on kids and their parents buying behavior of food products with a reference to Cheetos and kinder joy. The objectives of this research are: 1) identifying the effects of cartoon images on kids and their parents buying behavior. 2) Focusing on factors, which motivate their parents to make buying decision. 3) Finding out the creative strategies to enhance product development. To carry on the research, literature from previous researches on a similar topic was reviewed.The questionnaire for this research were designed using a mixed-method (50 questionnaire and 5 interviews). The sample that we will use to distribute the surveys and conduct interview is convenience,non-probability sampling method. The research covers 50 participants who have kids from 4-10 years or they are in position of parents of their brothers, sisters, nieces or nephews. Also, the interviews are conducted in the malls (LULU Hyper Market Carrefour). The data collection is done through online qualitative research (online questionnaire), while the interview questionsare semi-structured and are analyzed by generating keywords for each question.The analysis of the questionnaire is done using the SPSS analysis software and MS. Excel as the long questions was entered in the software by categorizing them in themes.The results of the study shown that both Kinder joy and Cheetos are well known. In fact, most of the children are influenced consumer behavior, kids, parents baying behavior, packaging, cartoon images, Cheetos, Cheetah Chester, kinder joy.by the cartoon images of those brands.

Nethnography, complementing Netnography: a defensible praxis for the online researcher

ABSTRACT This article issues a challenge for interpretive tourism researchers to consider the trove of online data currently disavowed by aficionados of Netnography. Non-dyadic social media data is used by researchers but has been devalued as lacking legitimacy. However, by combining ‘lifeless’ non-dyadic social media with lesser-engaged ethnographic methods a lived proxy can be achieved. Nethnography is a two-part qualitative praxis of spending enough time with the phenomenon to discern meanings with confidence, which is then used to interpret non-dyadic textual discourse. Lesser-engaged ethnographic methods include participants as observers, observers as participants and complete observers. A fourth legitimizer of online interpretation are researchers or the cooperation of consultants who have previously immersed themselves in the phenomenon but were not researchers at the time. Sustainable advantages of Nethnography include (1) legitimizing [marginalized] non-dyadic secondary data. (2) Transferring researcher bias downstream. (3) Enhanced insight and subsequent truthfulness when analysing Big Data and, (4) Nethnography is less time-consuming than Netnography. It is not proposed that Nethnography competes with [traditional] Netnography, but instead intended to complement it as an alternate online qualitative research method of equivalent veracity.

A Pilot Study Conducting Online Think Aloud Qualitative Method during Social Distancing: Benefits and Challenges.

COVID-19 social distancing restrictions provided unprecedented insights into online research methodologies and approaches for both participants and researchers. Field research traditionally conducted face-to-face had to be transferred online, highlighting the great strides made in communication technologies (particularly live video streaming) over the last two decades for online qualitative research. However, dedicated research on these phenomena is tentative, including with regard to specific methods such as Think Aloud. This paper contributes to literature on online Think Aloud in qualitative research, evaluating new insights on its adoption online. It draws on findings from an online piloting study of Think Aloud tasks to explore the implications of using real-time internet video calls via SoIP applications by MS Teams. To assess the online Think Aloud process, this review called upon some of the comments made by participants during the semi-structured interview or comments made during the Think Aloud process, when they were relevant to the online process itself. It focuses on different dimensions of benefits, rapport in the session’s encounter, challenges, and ethical concerns. Overall, the findings indicate that online Think Aloud sessions cannot completely replace in-person sessions for some particular and highly in-depth research areas, but they can greatly facilitate qualitative data collection in most conventional contexts. It is necessary to carry out further studies exploring the use of this and other online approaches and instructions.