Imposter Participants in Online Qualitative Interviews: A Protocol for Trauma-Informed and Equitable Decision-Making

Authors

L. B. Klein, University of Wisconsin-MadisonFollow
Caro Cruys, University of Wisconsin-MadisonFollow

Abstract

Imposter participants are an emerging concern in qualitative research due to the recent increase in online recruitment and virtual interviews. Unfortunately, there is limited guidance on how to address imposter participants in an equitable, trauma-informed way. To bridge this gap, we share imposter participant red flags, challenges, and a protocol that provides questions to ask and possible activities to engage in throughout the research process from conceptualization through findings dissemination. We ground this guidance in examples from our recent study with LGBTQ+ (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.

Keywords

online recruitment, imposter participants, virtual interviews, trustworthiness, protocol

Author Bio(s)

L. B. Klein is an assistant professor in the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and a core faculty member of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin- Madison where they lead the GLITTER (Gender, LGBTQ+, Interpersonal Trauma, and Translational Equity Research) Lab. Please direct correspondence to lb.klein@wisc.edu

Caro Cruys is a Ph.D. candidate at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and a clinical social worker. Their research focuses on the sexual and relational health and well-being of LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the 29 participants in our study. Support for this research was provided by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Wisconsin –Madison with funding from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

Publication Date

9-2-2024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6702

Recommended APA Citation

Klein, L., & Cruys, C. (2024). Imposter Participants in Online Qualitative Interviews: A Protocol for Trauma-Informed and Equitable Decision-Making. The Qualitative Report, 29(8), 2214-2222. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6702

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3346-9548

ResearcherID

lklein24