The onset of a global pandemic has been disruptive for many things, including our capacity to undertake fieldwork. Still, even before the arrival of COVID-19, the possibility of traveling to collect data in the field was constrained by resource scarcity, personal responsibilities, and other health concerns. In this talk, I consider the drawbacks and benefits of undertaking virtual interviews and focus groups, and I offer some advice on transitioning from conventional (read: on the ground) data collection to virtual data collection. I suggest that the transition to virtual fieldwork need not mark a decline in quality, qualitative research designs, but it does require considering a new set of challenges.
