A Practical Guide to the E-Mail Interview

• Published in: Qualitative health research Vol. 17; no. 10; pp. 1415 - 1421
• Main Authors: Hunt, Nigel, McHale, Sue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2007; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Alopecia; Alopecia Areata - psychology; Electronic Mail - economics; Electronic Mail - standards; Electronic Mail - trends; Electronic mail systems; Email; Hair loss; Health psychology; Humans; Interviewing; Interviews; Interviews as Topic - methods; Interviews as Topic - standards; Journalists; Research Design; Researcher-Subject Relations - psychology; Telemedicine; Time Factors; alopecia; e-mail interview; health psychology; methodology; e-mail method
• ISSN: 1049-7323; 1552-7557
• DOI: 10.1177/1049732307308761

The e-mail interview is a novel technique that has a number of advantages over traditional interviewing, but there are also some disadvantages. In this methodological article, the authors review the issues surrounding the use of the e-mail interview, providing a concrete example of its use, that of interviewing people with alopecia areata regarding psychological issues associated with the disorder. The authors show in the article that the e-mail interview is an effective interview technique but that users must take account of a number of sensitive issues, and there are a number of serious disadvantages that limit its use to specific areas. The e-mail interview cannot be used simply as a cheap alternative to face-to-face interviews in all circumstances.