Doing Qualitative Research during the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020

Abstract

In this paper I examine how the pandemic and quarantine of 2020 affected qualitative research. Employing personal narrative as a method, I show what disadvantages researchers may have met with whilst conducting their studies. The unprecedented circumstances of the restrictions and uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 crisis have had a dramatic impact on the public mental health of individuals, including academic researchers. Many online tools are very useful for qualitative researchers, but are not a substitute for face-to-face research. In this article I explain these issues more thoroughly and discuss the challenges that researchers have faced during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic.