The Use of Automatic AI-based Notes and Transcription Services in Qualitative Research: Ethical and Methodological Concerns

Abstract

The rise of online interviewing using videoconferencing platforms has impacted the way qualitative researchers conduct their data collection. Previous studies have investigated the use of Zoom Meetings for online data collection (Archibald et al., 2019; Lobe et al., 2020), yet other studies also have outlined ethical challenges when collecting data remotely (Bamdad et al., 2022; Lim & Kaveri, 2024). In LIS studies, researchers have examined ethical considerations for qualitative research methods in a virtual setting (Newman et al., 2021), although the discussion surrounding the advancement of AI-based technology in online data collection has been limited. With the growing interest in the use of transcription features in Zoom Meetings to support data analysis (Handler et al., 2022), issues surrounding automatic AI-based notes and transcription services integrated with this platform may have been overlooked. This study reflected ethical and methodological concerns when collecting data on student mothers’ use of mobile devices via Zoom Meetings synced with Otter.ai services. Ten participants were involved in online interviews from February to May 2023, resulting in nine transcripts from Zoom Meetings and Otter.ai services each. Ethical and methodological concerns surrounding AI-based meeting assistants' use were outlined, including data ownership and intellectual property management, data repository and flow strategies, real-time nature of interactions, implicit speech bias, and decision-making accountability. The study contributes to broadening the understanding of the ethical and methodological concerns for qualitative researchers when using AI meeting assistants and further calls for specific LIS guidelines in online research using AI technology.