THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF VIDEO CONFERENCING IN RESEARCH INTERVIEWS: AN
INTEGRATIVE REVIEW
Abstract
Although researchers have long employed videoconferencing, the
technology became particularly popular during the “physical
distancing” measures observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which
limited social interactions and thus curtailed in-person qualitative
interviews. This interview method may grow due to the increasing
digitization of researchers’ and participants’ environments. While there
is abundant literature on videoconferencing and its use in qualitative
research, the result of the analyses remains scattered and lacks a
unified framework to capture how researchers have covered the topic. By
adopting a systematic approach, this article provides an integrative
review of research conducted over the past 25 years. The result is an
integrative framework that summarizes knowledge about the strengths and
weaknesses of videoconferencing and provides practical guidance for
researchers embarking on research projects using this tool.