A Guide to Conducting Online Research is designed to support students, academics and research practitioners in using technology to conduct their research. The book begins by looking at what questions to ask and how to prepare to conduct online research, then concentrates on particular technologies and how to employ them effectively, before concluding with a discussion of the peculiarities of conducting research in the online environment. Practical advice is offered on common issues and problems, such as: - How to decide which application is best for your research purposes? - What can be done to guarantee the anonymity of research participants? - What kinds of challenges do firewalls present and how can they be mitigated? A Guide to Conducting Online Research provides a wealth of advice, explanation, instruction, self-help tips and examples, making this a helpful resource for anyone using technology in conducting their research.

This book addresses the needs of researchers who want to conduct surveys online. Issues discussed include sampling from online populations, developing online and mobile questionnaires, and administering electronic surveys, are unique to digital surveys. Others, like creating reliable and valid survey questions, data analysis strategies, and writing the survey report, are common to all survey environments. This single resource captures the particulars of conducting digital surveys from start to finish

Online research methods are popular, dynamic and fast-changing. Following on from the great success of the first edition, published in 2008, The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods, Second Edition offers both updates of existing subject areas and new chapters covering more recent developments, such as social media, big data, data visualization and CAQDAS. Bringing together the leading names in both qualitative and quantitative online research, this new edition is organised into nine sections: 1. Online Research Methods 2. Designing Online Research 3. Online Data Capture and Data Collection 4. The Online Survey 5. Digital Quantitative Analysis 6. Digital Text Analysis 7. Virtual Ethnography 8. Online Secondary Analysis: Resources and Methods 9. The Future of Online Social Research The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods, Second Edition is an essential resource for anyone interested in the contemporary practice of computer-mediated research and scholarship.

Conducting Online Research on Amazon Mechanical Turk® and Beyond, written by Leib Litman and Jonathan Robinson, provides both students and experienced researchers with essential information about the online platforms most often used for social science research. This insightful and accessible text answers common questions like, "How do I maintain data quality in online studies?," "What is the best way to recruit hard-to-reach samples?" and "How can researchers navigate the ethical issues that are unique to online research?" Drawing on their experiences as the founders of CloudResearch (formerly TurkPrime), the authors provide information that guides new users planning their first online studies and engages even the most experienced researchers with detailed discussions about the challenges of online research. The book begins with an overview of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and its rapid rise within academic research. Then, the authors describe how to set up an MTurk study with screenshots that walk readers through the steps of creating an account, designing a study, collecting data, and using third-party applications to enhance MTurk’s functionality. Later chapters provide readers with a detailed understanding of the MTurk environment and use data from hundreds of thousands of participants and tens of millions of completed tasks to dive into issues like participant demographics, sources of sampling bias, and the generalizability of findings from MTurk. Finally, the book explores the benefits of using other online platforms as a complement to MTurk and the ethical issues that are unique to conducting research with online participant platforms. Throughout the book, the authors share hands-on advice and best practices, such as those for conducting longitudinal studies or carrying out complex studies. Altogether the mix of data, insight, and advice make this book an essential resource for researchers who want to understand the online environment and the most effective ways to conduct research online.

The internet is a compelling tool for research, enabling efficient, cost-effective data collection and facilitating access to large samples and new populations. This book presents a state-of-the-art guide to the internet as a tool for conducting research in the social and behavioural sciences using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. New to this edition: Fully re-written to reflect the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies Expanded coverage of web surveys for data collection Unobtrusive methods to harvest data from online archives and documents New practical tools and resources, where to find them, and how to keep up-to-date with new developments as they emerge New chapter on research ethics and discussion of ethical practicalities throughout Guiding the reader through the theoretical, ethical and practical issues of using the internet in research, this is an essential resource for researchers wishing to assess how the latest techniques, tools and methods in internet-mediated research may support and expand research in their own field.

A survival guide companion for students beginning their first online or hybrid class Introduction to Online Learning introduces first-time distance learners to the realities of Web-based education and serves as the most comprehensive, practical guide to achieving success when facing online-specific barriers as well as common academic hurdles. Written by an experienced instructor, this invaluable aid shows students how to overcome challenges related to e-mail communication, technological catastrophes, staying organized on a daily basis, and more. Students learn to take advantage of the unique resources available for those enrolled in internet-based programs and to make the most of their Web-based educational experience by tailoring it to their personal strengths, needs, and learning styles. Key Features The author provides clear explanations of how to tailor research, writing, and citing sources to the online classroom, as well as when citations are necessary Concrete, original examples link the text to students′ personal experiences; illustrations vividly bring material to life Screenshots and excerpts from online syllabi help students navigate their first course requirements Examples of appropriate discussion board interaction aid students in progressing in their course with confidence Self-assessments guide students in determining individual learning styles and levels of preparedness The open-access student study site includes first-person testimonials and advice from online students and instructors, links to relevant Web sites and resources, and self-quizzes. Intended Audience This groundbreaking supplement is a must-have for any student enrolled in an online course or degree program, or for students enrolled in hybrid courses including a mix of online and classroom learning.

A detailed look at conducting online research, including how to write literature reviews, utilize annotated bibliographies, and use Boolean logic.