Navigating the Challenges of Remote Research in Times of Crisis and Beyond

Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic put heavy restrictions on researchers who mainly follow a qualitative, ethnographic stance that typically relies on immersion in the setting, bringing remote research into the spotlight. In this paper, we describe how we, as qualitative researchers, responded to the crisis by comparing our experiences in conducting remote interviews in two German contexts: 1) with employees from a video game company during the summer of 2020 and 2) with several political and non-political actors in a rural region during autumn 2020 to summer 2021. Drawing on these experiences, we provide lessons learned for times when physical distancing is necessary but also beyond. While we faced some challenges and limitations, such as technical difficulties and a lack of contextual insights on-site, we also found a more profound quality in the absence of the regular interview setting. Thus, we advocate retaining someprocedures and alternative ways as future practice.