Online interviews

Abstract This chapter explores online interviews as a qualitative data collection method in applied linguistics. It begins by defining online interviews as a method, discussing their increasing adoption due to their flexibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. The chapter then examines research areas that could benefit from the use of online interviews and provides some specific research questions. The implementation section explores different online interview modes and discusses key decisions made before, during, and after conducting online interviews. Next, the chapter presents five exemplary studies, illustrating how online interviews have been used in diverse research contexts. Ethical considerations, such as data security and informed consent, are discussed alongside challenges like financial support and power dynamics between researchers and participants. The chapter concludes by outlining future research directions, emphasizing multimodal approaches, researcher reflexivity, and ethical advancements.