The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Researching Older People During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Longitudinal Study on Older People’s Quality of Life during the Covid-19 pandemic (ILQA-19) is a qualitative study carried out during the 2020 lockdown on 40 older men and women living in the ten villages in northern Italy subject to the first lockdown in Europe. This study focuses on older people’s lives and the role of digital technologies during the pandemic, and it has been carried out fully remotely. Despite the need to research the social consequence of pandemics for older people, there is a shortage of studies that provide guidelines on how to successfully involve this population in online qualitative studies. This paper contributes to fill this gap by discussing the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in implementing the different stages of ILQA-19 research. The best practices of qualitative studies conducted through ICTs are discussed, along with the strategies we enacted to enhance participation in the study. Specifically, panel engagement, tailoring procedures and building positive and trustworthy interactions with study members are crucial when researching older people through online methods.