Using internet data sources to achieve qualitative interviewing purposes: a research note

In this research note, we examine the function, merits, and challenges of using internet data sources, namely, social media discussion analysis and email interviewing, alongside data collected for the same study from traditional face-to-face interviewing. This comparison opportunity arose from recruitment challenges in our study, which investigated kindergarten teachers’ perspectives and experiences with play-based teaching in kindergartens. Although we had planned to use only face-to-face interviewing, recruitment challenges prompted the use of other data to examine the same research objective, allowing us to analyze the data from each method side-by-side. We contend that social media analysis and email interviewing offer complementary benefits to approaches currently available for qualitative researchers, especially when recruitment attempts through traditional methods fail. This article focuses on practical and practice-based aspects, for qualitative researchers who are seeking alternative research methods to collect rich data about participants’ perspectives and experiences.