Qing wèn, how do I do virtual/remote fieldwork?

I’m not sure what is the right name for this kind of fieldwork (will find it later), but it’s different from those research projects in which virtual fieldwork is the most feasible and preferable method such as social media ethnography. Covid really be killing us all on the inside! I was so looking forward to my first ethnographic work and being on the ground with the participants and now all I can do is sit on the chair (I could be lying on the bed as well) and do the interviews through phone calls.

It is really doable. In fact, a friend from another subprogram just finished interviewing the first group and she did get the information she needed. It's our turn now in Subprogram 2 to interview. But as someone who loves physical interaction, I strongly feel like looking at the person’s face you’re interacting with helps lift up the mood to talk, especially when the conversation will take nearly an hour or more! Other than that, the participants are specifically those from the B40 community (lowest income group/urban poor) and while there are other alternatives to carry out the interviews (Google Meet/Zoom, WhatsApp, etc.), some of our participants do not have the luxury of Internet access.

I’m currently going through the questionnaires and consent forms for the last time, as well as making myself familiar with some new software used in this research project, and before I know it, it will be the time to start contacting the participants! Although I foresee myself pacing back and forth across my room while talking, or lying on the bed, or dressing myself up really well and comfortably to pretend like I’m meeting them face-to-face, I hope to do this really well and be 200% present while talking. As Dr. Lai reminds me always, we want them to benefit from us as much as we will benefit from them.