Online versus in-person interviews with adolescents: An exploration of data equivalence

This study compared data quantity and quality of interviews conducted with adolescents in a face-to-face setting versus online. Thirty participants in grades 10 through 12 participated in semi-structured interviews either through instant messaging or in-person. Results indicated that interviews conducted online produced fewer words and took longer to complete, and involved more rapport-building, however, there were no mean differences in the level of self-disclosure and the formality of the interviews, nor in the number and kind of themes that emerged or in the depth to which the themes were discussed. The findings suggest that despite taking longer and producing fewer words, data quality is unaffected by the mode of data collection (online versus face-to-face).