When the Ethic is Functional to the Method: The Case of E-Mail Qualitative Interviews

Abstract

This chapter explores the methodological implications of using e-mail for qualitative interviews. It draws on computer-mediated communication (CMC) literature to remark that, contrary to generalized assumptions, technological-based anonymity does not always correspond to increased self-disclosure. Conversely, it is shown that e-mail interviews make the interviewer effect unavoidable, stimulate reflexivity and must rely on trust and equal participation more than face-to-face interviews. To address the interviewee’s resistance and avoid unwanted phenomena of strategic self-presentation, a model of interview based on a feminist ethic is proposed.