Enquêter à distance : une spécificité, une incongruité… ?

Abstract

The direct contact with investigated populations (in vivo in situ) is the most approved way in social and human sciences for decades. For disciplines such as ethnology, this is a prerequisite, even if some authors have been able to propose heuristic leads despite a scientific practice carried out in an office—"outside the field". Based on professional experiences over several decades, this article specifies some added values and disadvantages of investigating at a distance, be it by telephone and, more recently, via the Internet. With distance, the concrete non-interference in the material life of the respondents does not eliminate the possibilities of collecting in-depth experiences, or even intimate confidences. Building on this can be important for a better understanding of situations researchers may experience in the context of a specific professional activity, a sporting hobby, a life with illness, etc.

Keywords

• social sciences
• qualitative methods
• self-reflexivity
• phone
• Internet