Recording Solo: Managing Long-Distance Data Collection within Audio Diary Research with Healthcare Professionals

Veronica Moretti

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.21.3.04

Authors

Veronica Moretti University of Bologna, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6506-0501

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.21.3.04

Keywords:

Audio-Diary, Remote Social Research, Healthcare Professionals, Long-Distance Reflexivity

Abstract

This paper explores the methodological and reflexive implications of using audio diaries in remote qualitative research with healthcare professionals. Drawing on a three-month study involving 18 participants who submitted audio recordings weekly, complemented by follow-up interviews, the article examines how this method enables the collection of rich, emotionally nuanced, and temporally proximate narratives. The audio diary format proved particularly effective for engaging professionals under high emotional and organizational pressure, offering a flexible and participant-led space for reflection. The study also sheds light on the challenges of sustaining participation over time, the importance of ethical responsiveness, and the role of the researcher in supporting engagement at a distance. Ultimately, the paper proposes the concept of long-distance reflexivity to describe how both participants and researchers negotiate meaning, presence, and vulnerability in fully remote research settings.

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Author Biography

Veronica Moretti, University of Bologna, Italy

Veronica Moretti (PhD) is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology and Business Law, University of Bologna, Italy. She is the Director of the First Cycle Degree Program in Sociology and a member of the University’s Bioethics Committee. Her research focuses on the use of creative and visual methods in health and medical sociology. She serves on the board of the European Society for Health and Medical Sociology and on the board of the ESA Research Network on Risk and Uncertainty. She is also one of the founders and Vice President of the Italian Graphic Medicine Association, which promotes the use of graphic novels in healthcare and medical education.

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