Affiliation:
1. School of Social Work and Canada Research Chair on Partnership Research and Empowerment of Vulnerable Youth, University of Montreal, Canada
2. Research Fellow at the Department of Social Work, Stellenbosch University, Canada
3. Canada Research Chair on Partnership Research and Empowerment of Vulnerable youth, University of Montreal, Canada
Abstract
In the wake of COVID-19, numerous research projects moved to online data collection to comply with public health guidelines. Since then, many qualitative projects have continued to use online methods to collect data. While online methods facilitated research continuity, they also introduced new opportunities for deceptive behaviors, particularly misrepresentation and multiple participation. Drawing from a recent project that conducted online interviews with young people who detransition after a gender transition, this article describes how fraudulent interviews were identified and dealt with. We present 12 indicators of potential scams in qualitative interviews, including similarities between participants, the type of information provided, participants’ behaviors, and inconsistencies in the narratives. We discuss our overall experience and, in light of recent literature, present strategies to prevent and deal with scams in qualitative research.
Funder
Social Sciences and Humanity Research Council