See What I Mean! Youth, Qualitative Methods, Semi-Structured Interviews, and Participant-Driven Virtual Tours

• In Event: 428 - Section on Methodology Paper Session. Creative Methodological Approaches to Data Collection and Analysis

Abstract

New media is part of today’s everyday life, simultaneously simplifying and complicating social dynamics. Today, new media is redefining how professions carry out occupational duties. Not being an exception, new media has become part of the social scientific research process. Quantitative and qualitative researchers analyze the use of new media. Moreover, researchers are developing virtual methodologies. Thus, this paper is concerned with how social scientists incorporate accessible technologies to enhance research methods. More specifically, how qualitative researchers incorporate accessible technologies to enhance traditional data-collection methods. To explore this methodological issue, this paper will review virtual research methodology and present the use of participant-driven virtual tours during semi-structured interviews with youth, including a social-media tour to explore youth peer cultures (n = 48; 10-17 year-olds; 2013) and a Google-Maps neighborhood tour to explore how youth navigate their socio-spatial environments (n = 56; 10-17 year-olds; 2013). While acknowledging its limitations, accessible technologies can enhance traditional data-collection methods and be a key in the continuous negotiation to access participants’ social lives. With varying research objectives, fields of study vary in their investment of methodological creativity to develop respective virtual methodologies. However, it is in the best interest of all social science fields to consider the use of accessible technologies to enhance traditional research methods.

Authors

• Ana Campos-Holland, Connecticut College

• Brooke Dinsmore, Connecticut College

• Kasmine Kelekay, Connecticut College