Elizabeth Flannery Lecturer/PhD candidate, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Kath Peters Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Gillian Murphy Senior lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Elizabeth Halcomb Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Lucie M Ramjan Associate professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Why you should read this article

• To gain insight into how to change data collection methods rather than abandoning research

• To consider how a researcher can stay true to narrative inquiry when interviewing remotely

• To examine the impact of Zoom and telephone interviews on data collection, ethics and person-centred research

Background The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected data collection for many researchers, in particular research that involves face-to-face interviews.

Aim To share learning about the challenges encountered when face-to-face interviews could not continue as planned in a study and how to adapt data collection so that it can continue despite severe disruption.

Discussion This article examines the considerations and actions taken by the authors to ensure the continuity of data collection. The research aimed to use narrative inquiry to understand the experiences of significant others supporting people in intensive care units with severe burn injuries. But the pandemic meant the researchers could not meet face-to-face with participants as originally intended and so they had to consider new ways to approach data collection. The authors explore the process of adapting the interviews to video conferencing and telephone use while preserving the study’s person-centred focus to remain coherent with narrative methodology.

Conclusion Adapting data collection is valuable in ensuring the continuity of research. Careful consideration and planning are required to ensure the research remains robust and ethically sound.

Implications for practice Adapting data collection methods can allow for greater flexibility when participants cannot attend face-to-face interviews.

Nurse Researcher. 31, 1, 33-39. doi: 10.7748/nr.2022.e1874

Correspondence

l.flannery@westernsydney.edu.au

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Permission

To reuse this article or for information about reprints and permissions, please contact permissions@rcni.com

Write for us

For information about writing for RCNi journals, visit rcni.com/publish-article-with-rcni

For author guidelines, go to rcni.com/write-for-nurse-researcher

Already subscribed? Log in OR Unlock full access to RCNi Plus today Save over 50% on your first 3 months Your subscription package includes: Unlimited online access to all 10 RCNi Journals and their archives Customisable dashboard featuring 200+ topics RCNi Learning featuring 180+ RCN accredited learning modules RCNi Portfolio to build evidence for revalidation Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests Subscribe RCN student member? Try Nursing Standard Student

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now

Or