Exploring the Internet as a medium for research: web-based questionnaires and online sychronous interviews

Introduction It is widely acknowledged that information and communication technologies (ICT) open up new possibilities for research in terms of both adapting existing methodologies to a new medium and in creating new methodological possibilities. Several specialist textbooks on online research have recently been published to help researchers explore these new methodological possibilities Numerous general advantages of online research methods have been identified in this literature. They enable the researcher to communicate with a geographically dispersed population and so can be useful in internationalising research. They can be used to contact groups often difficult to reach, such as the less physically mobile (disabled/in prison/in hospital) or the socially isolated (drug dealers/terminally ill/ etc). They are also particularly appropriate for researching online communities and for discussing sensitive and embarrassing topics where anonymity is an advantage. Savings in costs are also to be recommended (for example, costs associated with travel, venue, data entry for questionnaires, transcription of interviews). Moreover, according to Denscombe (2003, 51), the quality of responses gained through online research is much the same as responses produced by more traditional methods, warranting 'guarded optimism' about the validity of these new methods. However, as Wakeford (2000, 32) correctly observes: 'In thinking about which methodological frameworks we have at our disposal to study the web, it is advisable to bear in mind that what is considered as legitimate methodology is itself always in flux.' An example of this flux is the topic of this paper. Specifically, in this paper we intend to explore online research as a legitimate methodology, evaluating its limitations and assessing its potentials. A reflexive discussion of the usefulness of online research is important, for although it has been used as a methodological tool for some years, Hewson et al. (2003, 1) recently argue that '…many issues are just starting to be addressed and Mann and Stewart (2000, 4) observe that '…it is perhaps surprising that the suitability of the Internet for conducting research remains relatively unexplored.' In this paper we focus on two online methods we have used successfully in our research: web-based questionnaires and synchronous online group interviews. The bulk of the paper is devoted to an indepth exploration of two issues that can usefully contribute to the debate about the value of online research: access, sampling and identity verification with respect to web-based questionnaires and virtual engagement, interaction and communication with regard to synchronous online interviews. In …