Beyond substitution: How digital group interviews reshape participation, interaction, and qualitative data

Despite extensive methodological knowledge of group interviews, little is known about participants’ experiences of digital group interviews. This qualitative study explores educational professionals’ experiences of participating in digital group interviews within the Norwegian education sector. Ten digital group interviews ( n = 58) were conducted and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis generated three main themes: Increased opportunity for participation , Variation in personal preferences , and the importance of Clear structure and relational support . The findings suggest that digital group interviews are not merely a substitute for in-person methods but also reshape participation, interaction, and the conditions for data generation. Digital settings may lower participation thresholds and enable more authentic expression for some participants, while also introducing new challenges in facilitation and interaction. These insights highlight the moderator’s critical role in balancing structure and relational support and underscore the need to treat digital group interviews as a distinct methodological approach. The study contributes to methodological discussions by identifying key considerations for conducting high-quality digital group interviews.