Get started
Work

Using Encrypted Email Interviewing in Critical Qualitative Nursing Research: Methodological Insights From Three Nursing Undergraduate Honours Studies

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Qualitative nursing researchers require flexible, secure and responsive data collection methods. Encrypted asynchronous email interviewing offers a secure approach for engaging geographically dispersed participants, individuals with demanding schedules, and those discussing sensitive experiences in rural communities where anonymity may be difficult to maintain. This paper describes the implementation of an encrypted email interviewing protocol across three undergraduate nursing honours studies conducted at a rural Canadian university. Recruitment was through purposive sampling and used semi-structured, asynchronous interviews via encrypted institution-affiliated email systems. Data security measures included encryption procedures, de-identification strategies, multi-factor authentication, and secure data storage. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Encrypted email interviewing generated rich qualitative data while enhancing participant agency, confidentiality, and privacy. The method reduced power imbalances associated with face-to-face interviewing, eliminated transcription requirements, and supported rigorous qualitative analysis. It was adaptable for both text-based and visual data collection. Challenges included the absence of nonverbal cues, reliance on participants’ literacy and access to technology, and potentially extended data collection timelines. Encrypted asynchronous email interviewing is a rigorous, adaptable, and ethically responsive qualitative data collection method that supports trustworthy qualitative inquiry on sensitive topics and with vulnerable populations in rural settings.
DOI: 10.1177/23333936261497595
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,000
OpenAlex ID: W7224006951
FWCI:
Cites: 24
Cited by:
Related to: 10