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A Guide to Conducting Online Research
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A Guide to Conducting Online Research

First Edition

Courses:
Research Design

April 2009 | 184 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
A Guide to Conducting Online Research is designed to support students, academics, and practitioner researchers in using technology as part of 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:
  • What technology should be used for conducting a focus group?
  • What can be done to guarantee the anonymity of research participants?
  • How can firewalls be dealt with?
  • How is it best to manage, analyze, and present data in online research?

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.

 
Introduction
 
Designing an Online Study
 
Research Standards and Ethical Considerations
 
Using Email for Data Collection
 
Researching Using Instant Messaging and Chat
 
Survey Research on the Internet
 
The World of Web 2.0: Blogs, Wikis and Websites
 
Accessing and Using Web-based Data
 
Analyzing the Data
 
Emerging Research Opportunities
 
Presenting Your Results
 
Some Additional Challenges for Online Researchers

'The guide 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' -
Abstracts of Public Administration, Development, and Environment

C. L. Tannahil
Eastern Connecticut State University

'The guide 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' -
Abstracts of Public Administration, Development, and Environment


This is a great book for this subject matter. I do not teach a course that is solely concerned with online research methods. However, this text will be a useful addition to the supplementary texts for my course.

Professor Paul Hackett
Marketing Communication Dept, Emerson College
September 6, 2013

A very complete textbook. Plain & simple, right to the concept!

Dr Geronimo Maldonado-Martinez
Retrovirus Research Center, Universidad Central del Caribe
June 20, 2013

Ted J. Gaiser offers a broad overview of different online research approaches. In combination with general introductions, e.g. Flicks "An Introduction to Qualitative Research", this book be used as a guide for a whole lecture or as a collection of great and well-written chapters on specific steps of online research. Each step is not only presented from its theoretical point of view, but further tips and tricks help students to get into the subject and research easily.
This book will definitely be used for a forthcoming lecture on online research. Together with Kozinets' book in "Netnography" it delivers one of the best guidelines into the subject at the moment!

Mr Wolfgang Kotowski
Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, FFHS - Fernfachhochschule Schweiz
November 26, 2012

Although I adopted this text--and it's certainly adequate as a introduction to online research--I probably will search for an alternative the next time I teach my research methods seminar. To me, the text seemed to lack sufficient depth, and my students did not suggest otherwise.

Professor Michael Hyman
Marketing Dept, New Mexico State University - Las Cruces
February 12, 2010

An excellent introduction to online research though limited in its coverage of the issue of ethics.

Ms Kristan Burke
Dept of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University
November 2, 2009

Sample Materials & Chapters

Introduction

Chapter Two


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