Methodological Considerations of Qualitative Email Interviews

Abstract

Qualitative email interviews are becoming more commonplace in social science and business research. A synthesis of all known literature on email interviews is presented here, specifically focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of online interviewing. Advantages include low cost, automatic transcription, and minimal barriers to participation. Disadvantages include a significant written effort on behalf of respondent and lack of sensory and emotional cues. The conceptual themes, developed as a literature review and reflection of the author’s own research experiences, should be considered by researchers engaged in online qualitative data collection. Ethical considerations of this method and future recommendations are also presented in this chapter.