Generally, usability interviewing is conducted in-person, to allow the researcher to observe the interaction between the participant and the instrument, and to conduct in-depth follow-up probing. The Census Bureau and the National Science Foundation conduct a bi-annual survey of state government R&D. Given a tight timeframe and respondents who are geographically scattered, it would have been difficult and costly to conduct an adequate number of usability tests in person in time for the survey to go into production on schedule. Therefore, we researched interactive on-line options using web-based conferencing software. Using Web Ex, we were able to conduct a portion of the usability interviews remotely, where the researchers in the Washington DC area observed and interacted one-on-one with on-line survey users in several locations throughout the U.S. This paper presents the reasoning behind our decision to choose Web Ex, the pros and cons of doing the interviews remotely on-line and suggestions for others who may be considering usability testing in this manner.