http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
Deploying digital communication to research social capital and resilience in a highrise-based, low-income community
This case study reflects on the research methods utilized to understand the impact of the economic, social, and psychological effects of the pandemic on a neighborhood in the downtown east of Toronto called St. James Town. The two main research methods were (1) in-depth, semi-structured interviews, conducted remotely, with 18 St. James Town residents and 17 personnel of service provider agencies that work in the community and (2) the commissioning of structured diaries written over a 6-week period by two St. James Town residents. Fifteen of the 18 interviews with residents were conducted by three research assistants who reside in the community who were hired to help recruit and interview fellow residents. Videoconferencing software that allowed participants to dial into the meeting helped overcome barriers to possession of, or access to, the technology needed for video communication. One key lesson from this case is that videoconferencing technology holds great potential for interviewing members of marginalized communities but only with support from organizations trusted by the interviewees. This in turn is assisted by the prior establishment of good relationships between the researcher and the facilitating groups. The second practicality that the case illustrates is the usefulness of solicited, semi-structured diaries for social research on the unfolding impacts of crisis events in vulnerable communities.
SAGE research methods: doing research online