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Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) mediated interactions, such as audio and video calls, are part of all companies' routines. Despite technological advances, no current ICT can perfectly mimic the unique characteristics of face-to-face interactions. As good-quality internal communication is critical to companies' operations, the increased demand for work-from-home jobs raises relevant questions regarding employees' capability to communicate properly. To better understand if the physical and temporal distance associated with the work-from-home represents a threat to employees' capacity to establish clear communications, this study explores the internal communication experiences of full-time home-based telecommuters. Adopting a transcendental phenomenological strategy and based on a mix of purposeful and snowball sampling, 23 employees were interviewed online. Two additional interviews with top managers from a company where all employees work from home were also performed. Following a thematic analysis, results did not reveal a direct relationship between physical and temporal distance and the quality of internal communication. Indeed, the increased media options adopted by employees after starting to work from home contributed to improving internal communication quality. The main identified communication issues, such as information segregation, are related to how internal communications are managed, and may happen whether employees work side-by-side or physically apart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the project underlying this article, I investigated the shift in the researcher-interviewee relationship in the process of online interviews with migrants in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers in feminist interview methods have discussed the intricate and shifting power dynamics with study participants, while other scholars have examined the advantages and disadvantages of online interviews. However, researchers have not sufficiently analyzed the shifts in positionality that occur during online interviews. Using the concept of "being in the moment," I examined how my online interviews with migrant participants facilitated, prevented, and transformed my positionality as a researcher in relation to them while I performed fieldwork during COVID-19. My main findings were that both the participants and I were able to share background information prior to the interviews due to the prevalence of social networking services (SNSs) after the outbreak of the pandemic. This alleviated the potential distance created through the research. Furthermore, the migrants and I found commonalities as foreigners living through the pandemic. Thus, I concluded that online interviews provide opportunities for the researcher and interviewees to seek commonalities through sharing various social and professional moments during the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the project underlying this article, I investigated the shift in the researcher-interviewee relationship in the process of online interviews with migrants in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers in feminist interview methods have discussed the intricate and shifting power dynamics with study participants, while other scholars have examined the advantages and disadvantages of online interviews. However, researchers have not sufficiently analyzed the shifts in positionality that occur during online interviews. Using the concept of "being in the moment," I examined how my online interviews with migrant participants facilitated, prevented, and transformed my positionality as a researcher in relation to them while I performed fieldwork during COVID-19. My main findings were that both the participants and I were able to share background information prior to the interviews due to the prevalence of social networking services (SNSs) after the outbreak of the pandemic. This alleviated the potential distance created through the research. Furthermore, the migrants and I found commonalities as foreigners living through the pandemic. Thus, I concluded that online interviews provide opportunities for the researcher and interviewees to seek commonalities through sharing various social and professional moments during the research process.

Background and Aims: The diversity of the autistic population seeking professional services and education in the United States has increased. As the diagnosis of autism increases among the Chinese American immigrant population, there is also an increasing need to learn about this population and provide appropriate intervention and education for this group. However, current education and intervention provided for autistic individuals tend to be culturally blind. Gaps were found in our understanding of the cultural context and its relationship with the education mechanisms among Chinese American autistic families. The current study intends to investigate how Chinese American parents perceive the education materials and intervention strategies received by their autistic children as well as their experiences and needs in the education process. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 10 Chinese American parents (one father and nine mothers) online. They all had children who had a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and received some intervention or education. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the results. Results: The study suggested that most Chinese American parents were satisfied with the current education materials and intervention strategies provided to their autistic children. Due to cultural-related stigma, parents differ in their perceptions of children's autism diagnosis and characteristics as well as their expectations of children's culturally sensitive education. A theoretical model was created to provide culture-centered interpretation of the interconnected relationship between their pre- and post-immigration contexts and parenting attitudes. Conclusions: Culture plays a critical role in understanding Chinese American parents' experiences, needs, and expectations of culturally sensitive education for their autistic children. Interconnected relationships were found between contexts and parenting attitudes, which were largely influenced by cultural-related stigma. Implications: Suggestions and implications were provided for institutions and professionals working with Chinese American families and children. It is critical for them to learn about the experiences, needs, and attitudes of Chinese American parents to provide Chinese American autistic children with more appropriate and culturally sensitive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a phenomenology of practice, we explore what it is like to experience the other in an online interview using van Manen's notion of "insight cultivators" as sources for thematic insights in relation to an interview we conducted in a recent project. Specifically, we draw on Don Ihde's concept of embodiment relations incorporating technology, Emmanuel Levinas' notion of "the face," and Jean-Luc Marion's idea of "the look." We conclude that online interviews can enhance human encounters and advocate for using these even when in-person events are possible because of the opportunities that are presented by such communication platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) mediated interactions, such as audio and video calls, are part of all companies’ routines. Despite technological advances, no current ICT can perfectly mimic the unique characteristics of face-to-face interactions. As good-quality internal communication is critical to companies’ operations, the increased demand for work-from-home jobs raises relevant questions regarding employees’ capability to communicate properly. To better understand if the physical and temporal distance associated with the work-from-home represents a threat to employees’ capacity to establish clear communications, this study explores the internal communication experiences of full-time home-based telecommuters. Adopting a transcendental phenomenological strategy and based on a mix of purposeful and snowball sampling, 23 employees were interviewed online. Two additional interviews with top managers from a company where all employees work from home were also performed. Following a thematic analysis, results did not reveal a direct relationship between physical and temporal distance and the quality of internal communication. Indeed, the increased media options adopted by employees after starting to work from home contributed to improving internal communication quality. The main identified communication issues, such as information segregation, are related to how internal communications are managed, and may happen whether employees work side-by-side or physically apart.

Copyright of International Journal of New Economics & Social Sciences (IJONESS) is the property of International Institute of Innovation Science-Education-Development in Warsaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article draws on the research project Post-abortion narratives shared by Perth women via face-to-face interviews. The project was subsequently disrupted by the arrival of COVID-19 in Perth, Australia, making it necessary to conduct interviews via video call. The experience of using an online platform to conduct interviews became an opportunity to consider more carefully the practice of 'deep listening'. This kind of listening involves creating an emotional connection with the participant so that the interviewer is able to hear multiple layers of meaning and context. It includes listening mixed with perception in which one can hear the emotions of the other. In a paradigm where the interview is seen as an interaction between two embodied individuals and the interviewer herself is the instrument of research, this article examines the communication that occurs in the space between two co-present, embodied individuals and explicates the practice of deep listening. While interviewing via video call is an excellent tool, I argue that a layer of meaning is removed by the technological medium, which impacts the researcher relationship and thus the ability to listen deeply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights key points and practicalities regarding using online interviews using a recently completed undergraduate thesis as a case study. This case entitles “The consumers’ perceptions towards green products in food and beverages sector in Ho Chi Minh City.” Online interviewing using Google Meet has become one of the most common data collection methods in Vietnam as it is reasonably easy to use, provides almost all the required functionalities for online research, and is free of charge. Inspired by the experiences and practices from the case study, this paper is intended for use in online research methods and provides implications for application in online assessment.

Qualitative researchers are increasingly using online data collection methods, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. I compared the data quality (i.e., interview duration, average number of themes and sub-themes, and inaudible words) of 34 interviews (29 conducted by Zoom (16 with camera on, 13 camera off) and 5 conducted by phone) drawn from a study focusing on youth's coping experiences during the pandemic. Findings showed that phone interviews had a longer duration compared to Zoom. However, phone interviews had a similar average word count to Zoom interviews (with the camera on). Zoom interviews conducted with the camera off were shorter in duration than interviews with the camera on. The number of themes was similar across the different interview formats but there were fewer sub-themes for Zoom interviews with the camera off. The findings suggest that Zoom interviews conducted with the camera off could affect the data quality. This research also emphasizes the importance of giving participants choice in the format of their interview to allow for optimal sharing of experiences while enhancing the equity, diversity and inclusion of the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the technological developments and the changes that these developments have brought in individuals' lives, it has become important to make some arrangements in all areas of life. It's also important to make changes in classes for 21st century learners. For students to have 21st century learning characteristics, they need to be actively involved in the class, unlike traditionally practiced classrooms where the teacher narrates the lesson and the students take notes and listen. This study was applied in eight Information Technology courses with 454 pre-service teachers. An online interview was created to investigate pre-service teachers' experiences with flipped learning, the factors that lead to their learning within the flipped experience, and the factors that trigger frustration with flipped learning. After 14 weeks of flipped learning experience, 371 of the students completed the interview. Instructor observations were used to validate the data gathered from the interview. The study's findings were organised into three major categories: pre-service teachers' views on flipped learning, factors contributing to their learning, and factors contributing to their dissatisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative research methods allow researchers to understand the experiences of patients, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Qualitative research also provides scientists with information about how decisions are made and the aspects of existing interventions. However, to get to obtain this important information, qualitative research requires holistic, rich, and nuanced data that can be analyzed to determine themes, categories, or emerging patterns. Generally, offline or in-person interviews, focus group discussions, and observations are three core approaches to data collection. However, geographical barriers, logistic challenges, and emergency conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic have necessitated the utilization of online interviews, including chatting as an alternative way of collecting data. This editorial aims to discuss the possibility of online chat interviews as an acceptable design in qualitative data collection.

Since the development of artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, persona computing, and psychological testing have all benefited from the automated character assessment of video conversations to find personality traits. Deep learning (DL) techniques have enabled advancements in system cognition and creative and prescient abilities. Researchers have been able to recognise nonverbal cues and personality traits are attributes to them thanks to the creation of CNN (convolutional neural network) models capable of recreating human looks reliably via means of a camera. An entire AI system was used in this investigation. The video interviewing system and asynchronous video interview (AVI) processing were used to create the interviewing tool. Based only on the collected attributes, the Tensor Flow AI engine will robotically create personas (APR). Genuine personality ratings from facial expressions and self-reported surveys have been computed using the AVIs and real personality rankings from the AVIs. The studies' findings demonstrate that our AI-based interview bot is capable of accurately identifying an interviewee's "personality" traits. Our research also demonstrates that the semi-supervised deep learning technique surprise good performance in terms of despite the absence, automatic personality recognition of time-consuming manual labelling and annotating. This was true even in the absence of large-scale data. The Intelligence interview agent can be deployed in addition to or in substitute of current self-reported personality evaluation techniques, which job hopefuls can also manipulate to produce socially acceptable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Socjologii Jakościowej is the property of Redakcja Przegladu Socjologii Jakosciowej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In times of social distancing, we need to adapt some of our research methods. Methodologies in field research can be partly replaced by a combination of online methods, which will often include online interviews. Technologically, there are few limitations to conducting interviews online, but there are side effects to digital mediation: privacy related concerns, technology hiccups, and physical distance may be barriers to disclosure for the interviewee. A survey among master students who had conducted interviews online confirmed these negative effects on the flow of interviews. Barriers to disclosure may be overcome by introducing familiarity and role-sharing. We tested the methodology of duo interviews via online video-calling tool Skype. In duo interviews, two respondents who know each other, interview each other in absence of a researcher. This explorative study investigated the effects of digital mediation on the flow of interviews and possible mitigation by familiarity between interviewer and interviewee. The qualitative study's respondents were mostly experienced interviewers who knew each other well and were also experienced in using online video-calling tools, which reduced the influence of variation in technical and interviewing skills. The focus of the study was on finding conditions for the use of the familiarity strategy in online interviews. While familiarity between interview participants was reported to positively affect disclosure, the use of this method is limited to specific interview purposes. An unexpected finding was that the absent researcher was, in fact, present in the interview due to the element of video-recording. We list recommendations and conditions for conducting duo interviews over online video-calling tools, as well as limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the educational scenario. To counter this disaster, many countries, including Malaysia, have enforced a series of cordon sanitaire since 2020. Consequently, universities have temporarily closed, and a majority of universities' staff had to work from home, including researchers. Further, due to cordon sanitaire, conventional face-to-face interviews were prohibited. Nevertheless, online interviews with web conferencing as a tool for interviews is a promising solution for the pandemic situation. Therefore, this article intends to review web conferencing platforms as a tool of online data collection for qualitative research. Researchers need to understand the potentials and the threats of web conferencing before choosing and switching to conduct interviews virtually. The inclusion criteria are (1) researchers worldwide have used it as an online interview platform, (2) Malaysians have used it widely in their daily lives. The results, Cisco Webex, Skype, and Zoom, were selected, and reviewed. The review comprised audio-video services, audio-video recordings, number of participants in one session, real-time transcription, and translation services of the selected platforms. In addition, this article also discusses the security, privacy, and ethical issues arising from web conferencing usage. In conclusion, web conferencing platforms have provided an opportunity for researchers to continue collecting data while maintaining social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on friendship consistently finds that individuals with disabilities, including those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), have fewer friendships than individuals without disabilities, and that those friendships lack depth. Although the literature relating to the friendship experiences of individuals who use AAC is limited, some first-hand accounts written by individuals who use AAC describe positive interactions with friends and robust social networks. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the concept of friendship for individuals who use AAC from their own perspective. For the study, eight adults who used AAC participated in online interviews and focus groups to answer questions about friendship experiences. The research team identified patterns in the data and analyzed information according to the following themes: Definitions of Friendship, Factors Related to Self, Factors Related to Peers/Friends, Factors Related to the Environment, and Factors Related to Time. While many of the definitions and factors discussed could apply to any friendship, some factors specific to AAC and individuals who use AAC were identified. Implications for stakeholders relevant to the identified facilitating factors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for a research to be conducted, a reflection must have preceded or in other words one or more research questions. The researcher is then asked to decide which methodology s/he will adopt, eg. what route s/he will follow in order to conduct her/his research with a long-term goal to present it to the scientific and the broad public (and benefit it). This is not an easy process, though highly constructive and interesting. Once s/he thinks s/he has specified the methodology and the research tool s/he will adopt, the researcher will be confronted with other issues. Having consulted scientific books and journals -especially on social science methodology- s/he will find it difficult to try to understand which model of methodology s/he has finally chosen and whether this was a right choice; 'There is not only one recipe for research planning. The aims of the research determine its methodology and design' (Cohen, Mannion, & Morisson, 2008, p. 117), without, of course, implying that there should be no research planning to be followed to a large or short extent. In other words, there are disagreements between the experts on typological issues, related to the names and definitions of the methods. Especially referring to interviews, the problem seems to be maximized. As regards the area of social research (or education), there are some scientific questions, some sensitive issues and some specific subjects that may need special consideration (see also Elam & Fenton, 2003; Dickson-Swift, James, Kippen, & Liamputtong, 2009). In order to conduct research on such issues qualitative methodology is being used (most of the times) and particularly interviews (see also Drury, Homewood, & Randall, 2011; Murray et al., 2009), which are of extreme importance. The research methods through which we (mainly) study social phenomena (prevailingly) are divided in qualitative and quantitative ones. Quantitative methods analyze the frequency of occurrence of the phenomenon being examined, through a plurality of data-subject-samples, which are based on statistical analysis and parameters on large sample sets. 'These parameters take the form of variables and their correlation, which is empirically controlled, takes the form of assumptions. The cases included in the research are not considered in their entity, but only in relation to those parameters whose correlation is being investigated' (Tsiolis, 2011, p. 57). One of the main tools of the quantitative method in sociological research, questionnaires, for example, is based on questions asked in specific ways, and the respondents' answers to the research are also predetermined (Flick, Von Kardorff, & Steinke, 2004) and the researcher has ideally ensured similar response conditions for all people participating. Based on what we have already written, those who adopt the quantitative approach consider that they approach and crystallize a kind of homogeneity (and 'subjectivity'). As regards qualitative methodology, interviews are one of the main research tools. What we should remember is that 'types of interviews are often as many as the sources to which one can refer to' (Cohen, Manion, & Morisson, 2008, p. 454) and that 'the interview in order to be successful is based on the interaction of an interviewer and interviewee' (Chalikias, Lalou, & Manolesou, 2015, p. 27). From the above it is presumed that we first need a kind of interaction between two parties and especially that there is no appropriate type of interviews that if used will have desirable results. That is why the researchers do not have convergent views. Once a researcher chooses interviews as a research tool, s/he must be ready to listen to the personal interviewees' points of view (Flick, Von Kardorff, & Steinke, 2004) in order to compile information that is as accurate as possible. The interviews include issues of validity and self-expression --for both sides. Moreover, the relationship between the data and the arising issues is a kind of perceived truth (Cazden, 2000; Williamson, 2006) and is linked to how each side comprehends the issue under consideration. Online interviews are divided into synchronous and asynchronous. The first ones are related to a software or platform that allows real-time online discussion (see skype, viber, etc.) (O'Connor, Madge, Shaw, & Wellens, 2008) and asynchronous web-based interviews, for example email interviews, that are not held in real-time. The use of computers in the quality method fits into the modern and technological lifestyle. Especially email interviews are considered a natural and relatively accurate way of communication (Burns, 2010; Fritz & Vandermause, 2018). The bibliography states that the researcher who chooses to adopt for her/his research online interviews (skype or email) first has the opportunity to avoid any error associated with texting (http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU21.html, Selwyn & Robson, 1998). One of the main characteristics of electronic interviews is that they offer access to a world-wide sample (Meho, 2006; Blomberg, et al., 1993). In other words, they minimize the geographical distance (Burns, 2010; Chen & Hinton, 1999; Dimond, Fiesler, DiSalvo, Pelc, & Bruckman, 2012), do not cost a lot, if nothing at all (Fontes & O'Mahony, 2008; Opdenakker, 2006) and may help in interviewing individuals belonging to special categories and may have specific characteristics, such as people who face some illnesses (see also Synnot et al., 2014), elderly people who do not easily move (Brondani, MacEntee, & O'Connor, 2011) and eg. addicted persons (see also McCoyd & Kerson, 2006; Meho, 2006). Email interviews allow researchers to interview more than one participants, since a list of questions can be separately sent to multiple participants at the same time, regardless of the their geographic location, as mentioned above, and by extending the time zone (Meho, 2006). Skype interviews can offer exciting opportunities for qualitative interviewing. In this type of interviews both the researcher and the subjects can see each other during the interview while in a different location and mainly in the comfort of their own space (Deakin & Wakefield, 2014; Hanna, 2012; Seitz, 2016). This article will attempt to approach and make the terms and issues discussed above clearer and more understandable and as detailed as possible. We will rely on personal empirical data from research that we have already conducted and- to a large extent- on our previous relevant article, the data of which we are trying to update with the ongoing text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While qualitative researchers increasingly accept online video interviews as a reliable method, many maintain concerns about rapport and data quality. Drawing on two separate interview projects conducted in private in-person settings, public in-person settings, and privately via Skype, we compare interview contexts with regard to rapport, suitability to sensitive topics, interview duration, and scheduling concerns raised by prior research. Analytical comparison of these two corpuses of data suggest, largely in contrast to previous literature, that (1) interviews conducted in private settings (either in-person or via Skype) result in more sharing of deeply personal experiences, and there is little difference in this exceptional disclosure between Skype and in-person private interviews; (2) interviewing via Skype produces neither reduction nor inappropriate excesses of rapport; and (3) Skype interviews are a popular choice among participants, did not result in shorter interview duration, and were not subject to greater rescheduling or cancellation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]