Do participants lie? Imposter participants in online qualitative research

Purpose The wide adoption of online methodologies has enabled methodological innovations in online qualitative research. However, it also increases the risk of imposter participants who may falsify or fabricate their identities, particularly in studies that offer incentives/compensation. Imposter participants pose a significant threat to data and research integrity. This paper draws on the author’s experience of making methodological adjustments after encountering imposter participants in an online qualitative study to highlight the significance of taking proactive actions throughout online qualitative studies to address this concern. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a review of how qualitative scholars approach this issue in online participant recruitment, data collection and data analysis. Then, the author shares methodological changes made for ongoing recruitment and data collection, as well as handling data collected from imposter participants. Findings Significant differences exist between verified participants and the incidences of imposter participants. Strategies in participant eligibility check, interview and member checking can be effective ways to address imposter participants throughout research projects. Originality/value The discussion on this concern is scant in the qualitative research community and so is the discussion of methodological and ethical approaches to address this issue. This paper underscores the importance for researchers to be aware of the risk of imposter participants and offer methodological considerations across stages in online qualitative studies for ethical and proactive methodological actions.