Conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic: Advice from psychological researchers on protecting participants, animals and research plans.
Author: Rebecca A. Clay
Published: March, 2020
COVID-19 is not just altering everyday life; it’s also upending psychological research. As universities and colleges across the country go virtual, researchers are scrambling to protect their human participants and animal subjects, their scholarship and their careers.
“The research that will be affected first are studies that involve bringing groups of people together in close proximity,” says Jeff Zacks, PhD, of Washington University in St. Louis, who chairs APA’s Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA). “But this is going to slow everybody down for 2020.” Topics include:
- Modify your research and analysis
- Protect your human participants and animal subjects
- Cross-train staff
- Maintain communication with your team
Read more here: https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/03/conducting-research-covid-19
Oral History at a Distance: Conducting Remote Interviews Webinar
Author: Adrienne Cain - Oral History Association
Whether research be done in-person or remotely, it is important the researchers are compliant and ethically sound in their interview work. This article discusses the benefits of distance interviewing and ways in which researchers can follow ethical standards while conducting remote interviews.
Such topics include:
- How to build rapport
- How to obtain a signed release form
- Recording remote interviews
Read the attached file for more information: Oral-History-at-a-Distance-Summary.pdf
Using Zoom Video Conferencing for Qualitative Data Collection: Perceptions and Experiences of Researchers and Participants
Authors: Mandy Archibald, Rachel Ambagtsheer, Mavourneen Casey and Michael Lawless
Published: 2019
With Video Conferencing tools, such as Zoom, becoming more widely used to conduct research and obtain information it is important to understand their benefits and challenges. This journal article explores the feasibility and acceptability of using Zoom to collect qualitative interview data within a health research context in order to better understand its suitability for qualitative and mixed-methods researchers.
The findings suggest that Zoom is successful as a tool to use for collection of qualitative data because of its relative ease of use, cost-effectiveness, data management features, and security options.
Read the attached file for more information: Archibald Zoom.pdf
Realities Toolkit: Using Phone Interviews
Author: Annie Irvine
Published: November 2010
During these uncertain times it may be challenging to conduct research. Telephone interviews offer a range of potential advantages for qualitative research projects. They remove the need for travel, so reduce both time and cost. They also allow participants to remain more anonymous, they may feel less emotionally intense or intrusive, and there may be physical safety advantages for both researcher and participants.
Two main concerns often raised are (i) implications for the social encounter and scope for achieving ‘rapport’ and (ii) the loss of visual or non-verbal cues. This Toolkit offers some personal experiences of conducting qualitative interviews by telephone as well what to consider when conducting them.
Some things to consider:
- Recruitment and consent
- Focus, attention and stamina
- Comfort, breaks and interruptions
- Technical issues
- Visual materials and gestures
- Effects on the spoken interaction
- Rapport and social interaction
Read the attached file for more information: 14-toolkit-phone-interviews.pdf