Field notes from the margins: Rethinking ethnographic presence through interpretive transcription and online interviewing

Abstract

This article draws on a multi-sited study involving 307 interviews with labeled youth across Europe to argue that methodological improvisations can deepen, rather than dilute, ethnographic practice. Confronted with limited access, what began as a practical decision (to forgo audio recording and go online) quickly evolved into a methodological provocation. Rather than treating these adaptations as compromises, we demonstrate how they enhanced trust, protected participant anonymity, and enabled rich, context-sensitive data collection. Through vivid tales from the field, we show how non-recorded, hand-written transcriptions preserved the emotional and narrative depth of interviews, while virtual platforms expanded access without sacrificing rapport. Our findings challenge conventional assumptions about rigor in research and argue for a more flexible, ethically attuned ethnographic practice. We conclude by offering practical recommendations for conducting fieldwork with hard-to-reach populations and suggest that, under the right conditions, methodological departures from tradition can generate meaningful insights and deepen researchers’ accountability to their participants.