Interviewing online: ethic of care and protecting participants and researchers using unstructured interviews

Since the pandemic, online interviews have become a cheap and practical way to collect research data with no need to travel, from the comfort of your office or home. in 2023, we interviewed 15 academics working in initial teacher education using an unstructured interview approach, without a schedule of interview questions or prompts to follow. Using this case study, we offer practical advice on preparing for the unknown stories you will be told, using this method, and also look at some ethical implications for unstructured interviews conducted online and how you can mitigate against these.