ABSTRACT
This chapter reveals the challenges and opportunities in data collection during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Romania. The chapter argues in favour of adopting an interpretive approach to analysing qualitative data and aims to provide a list of suggestions that will help social researchers collect data in challenging circumstances when physical access to participants is limited or not possible. Moreover, the data collected online from 16 participants through the use of the diary method provides an insight into the participants’ understanding of their new social context, proving to be a good alternative method for data collection. Results show that there are other alternative methods of collecting qualitative data with similar or even better results than the traditional methods, such as interviews or focus groups.
