Ghosted: Challenges to Conducting Qualitative Research in the Digital Era

Abstract

Electronic forms of communication—including email, texting, and social media platforms—have increased the speed and ease of communication. Yet, a rise in non-response and ghosting (when someone ceases communication without an explanation) has been documented across contexts, from romantic dating to quantitative research studies. Surprisingly, the rise of electronic communication has received little attention in the methodological literature for qualitative researchers. Based on an analysis of virtual and face-to-face recruitment in two qualitative studies I conducted, I find that ghosting is a routine feature of digital recruitment. There are situational contexts in which ghosting is more common, including lags in the timing of communication and requests that are too overwhelming. “Old-school” methods, such as seeking sponsorship, strategizing outreach, and building rapport, can be adapted to help researchers capitalize on the benefits of electronic communication technologies in recruitment.