Qualitative interviewing of older adults: offline versus online methods

The current paper is based on a study of 45 Australian older adults (aged 60 – 92 years) and their offline and online romantic relationships. It discusses the four different interview methods that were used to collect the data: (i) face-to-face, (ii) telephone, (iii) instant messaging and (iv) email. It is argued that with increasing numbers of older adults making use of the Internet, online interviewing provides researchers in ageing a further means of access to segments of this population. Online interviewing has many benefits, not least of which are that it is both cost effective and efficient. Furthermore, if the nature of the research topic is of a potentially sensitive nature, as in the project reported here (love, sex and intimacy), the use of online interviewing can help alleviate potentially embarrassing and confrontational moments which can occur for both researcher and participants with more traditional face-to-face and telephone interviewing methods