Whether you're beginning a college thesis or searching for a new toaster, Researching Online For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is your key to finding the information you need -- online and anytime. This book helps you develop a multitiered research strategy using keywords and index terms to dive deep into the sources found on the Web... * Explore the mental tools and online resources successful researchers rely on every day. * Take a look at the online world that goes beyond the Internet. * Familiarize yourself with search engines, indexes, quick reference aids, and other online professional services you can access from your computer. * See how Boolean searching and other power-search tips and techniques can greatly aid your research. * Apply these search techniques to real-life research situations. * Get acquainted with some of the best -- and best-hidden -- resources in important subject areas, such as news, business, technology, and government information. Researching Online For Dummies, 2nd Edition, also offers a 30-page directory dedicated to describing selected research sites, services, and other useful online resources. The book's bonus CD-ROM includes search engine help files from Northern Light and Lycos as well as demo versions of Copernic, BullsEye, and WebWhacker.

The massive expansion of the internet into every aspect of our lives creates a challenge for social researchers: can they simply transfer their traditional methods and techniques online or do they need to reinvent research methods for the new environment? As online research becomes increasingly prevalent it becomes more important for researchers to have an answer to these questions and an approach to conducting research online. This book is a straightforward, accessible introduction to social research online. It covers the key issues and concerns for social scientists: online surveys, focus groups, interviews, ethnographies and experiments, as well as discussing the implications of social media, and of online research ethics. It provides a detailed, up-to-date glossary and bibliography for those new to the area. Short, clear case studies throughout allow students to see examples of the research in practice. Wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, What is Online Research? shows social scientists of all levels - from undergraduates to established researchers - how to engage in the online environment in appropriate ways, and points the way forward for future research.

Communication and Qualitative Research is the first textbook to examine the impact of Internet technology on qualitative research methods. Drawing on many pioneering studies using computer-mediated communication (CMC), the authors show how online researchers can employ Internet-based qualitative methods to collect rich, descriptive, contextually-situated data. They discuss the methodological, practical and theoretical considerations associated with such methods as in-depth online interviewing, virtual focus groups, and participant observation in virtual communities. This is a comprehensive and practical guide that: Reviews online research practice and basic Internet technology Looks in detail at the skills required by the online researcher Examines the ethical, confidentiality, security, and legal issues involved in online research Considers the theoretical challenges surrounding data collected in a "virtual venue" Addresses the social and cultural impact of researching online through a discussion of power, gender, and identity issues in the virtual world Internet Communication and Qualitative Research will be an indispensable guide for all students and researchers working in the digital age.

Scholars from a range of disciplines discuss research methods, theories, and conceptual approaches in the study of internet governance. The design and governance of the internet has become one of the most pressing geopolitical issues of our era. The stability of the economy, democracy, and the public sphere are wholly dependent on the stability and security of the internet. Revelations about election hacking, facial recognition technology, and government surveillance have gotten the public's attention and made clear the need for scholarly research that examines internet governance both empirically and conceptually. In this volume, scholars from a range of disciplines consider research methods, theories, and conceptual approaches in the study of internet governance.

Internet Research Skills is a clear, concise guide to effective online research for social science and humanities students. The first half of the book deals with publications online, devoting separate chapters to academic articles, books, official publications and news sources, which form the core secondary sources for social science research. The second half of the book deals with the open web, a vast and confusing realm of materials, many of which have no direct print counterpart. The third edition has been updated throughout and now includes: - coverage of cutting edge online services as well as newly developed approaches to using online materials - a new chapter on organising your research and internet research methods - additional material on the use of social networks for research. - illustrations, examples and short exercises to help you put what you learn into practice. Internet Research Skills is an invaluable guide for undergraduate students carrying out research projects and for postgraduate students working on theses and dissertations.

Internet Research Skills is a clear and concise guide to the effective use of the Internet for students in the social sciences. The open web is becoming central to student research practice, not least because of its accessibility, and this clear text describes search strategies and outlines the critical skills necessary to deal with such diverse and disorganized materials. This book covers all of the essential aspects of Internet research, with each chapter containing a number of illustrations, inset boxes, and short exercises.

Explains how to select a search engine, request information from online libraries and archives, explore governmental cyber-bureaucracy, verify information, deal with copyright issues, and cite online references properly.