Online Research

1
Online Research

• Danielle Couch, BA, MPH
• La Trobe University
• 10 August 2007
• dlcouch_at_optusnet.com.au

2
Session Overview

• History and current state of internet
• How different people use the internet
• How people use the internet in relation to health
• Online research what is it, advantages and
  disadvantages
• Practicalities consent, confidentiality,
  recruiting, know your space
• Possible data sources web analytics,
  survey/questionnaires, unobtrusive methods, focus
  groups, in-depth interviews.
• Case study
• Tips and definitions

3
Who am I?

• Danielle Couch, BA, MPH
• Online research study Online Dating and Mating
• Currently employed with an online health services
  management company
• 8 years working in predominantly internet
  companies/environments

4
What is online?

• When a computer is connected to a network and can
  communicate with other computers.
• Coming to commonly mean being connected to the
  internet
• Common terms (often used interchangeably)
• Online communication
• Computer mediated communication (CMC)
• Internet (Net)
• Cyberspace
• Liamputtong and Ezzy (2005)

5
History of the Internet

• In 1969, the internet grew out of the US
  Department of Defences research into the
  networking of multiple computers through the
  commissioning of ARPANET (Advanced Research
  Project Agency Network) (Hewson et al. 2003).
• Email and international connections were added by
  the early 1970s
• First commercial variant of ARPANET was
  introduced in 1974
• Not until 1984 that the number of host computers
  networked together exceeded 1000.
• Growth continued exponentially and by 1987 there
  were over 10,000 host computers by 1987 over
  60,000 by 1988 over 100,000 by 1992 over 1
  million by mid 1994 over 3.2 million and by mid
  1999 there were over 56,218 million hosts
  worldwide. (Hewson et al, 2003).

6
History of the Internet

• The World Wide Web emerged in 1993.
• Easy to use browsers became available in 1993
  1994.
• This made the web more accessible to more people,
  and facilitated the rapid growth of the internet
  (O'Dochartaigh, 2002).
• The internet is the millions of computers
  connected to one another globally, that all use
  standardised Transmission Control Protocols
  /Internet Protocols (TCP/IP) ensuring that all
  computers can communicate with one another
  (Hewson et al., 2003).

7
History of the Internet

• Why is it important?
• It may be the greatest cultural phenomenon of our
  time.
• It allows people to connect, communicate and
  exchange knowledge with large numbers of other
  people, potentially across great distances
  (Liamputtong, 2006).

8
The internet - now

• Globally, approximately 17.6 of the worlds
  population has access to the internet.
• 69.5 of North Americans and 39.8 of Europeans
  have accessed the internet.
• 54.5 of the population of Australia/Oceania have
  accessed the internet.
• (Internet World Stats 2007)

9
Global internet usage
10
Global internet usage and population statistics
Source Internet World Stats (2007). Internet
usage and statistics - The big picture.
http//www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
Accessed 08/07/2007 at 1124am
11
Internet Penetration
12
Diffusion of Innovations

• Diffusion of innovations theory was formalized by
  Everett Rogers in a 1962 book called Diffusion of
  Innovations.
• The how, why, and at what rate new ideas and
  technology spread through cultures.

13
Diffusion of Innovations

• Rogers stated that adopters of any new innovation
  or idea could be categorized on a bell curve as
• innovators (2.5)
• early adopters (13.5)
• early majority (34)
• late majority (34)
• laggards (16)

14
Diffusion of Innovations

• Characteristics of each category of adopter
  include
• innovators - venturesome, educated, multiple info
  sources, greater propensity to take risk
• early adopters - social leaders, popular,
  educated
• early majority - deliberate, many informal social
  contacts
• late majority - skeptical, traditional, lower SES
  
• laggards - neighbours and friends are main
  information sources, fear of debt

15
Diffusion of Innovations

• Rogers theorised that innovations would spread
  through society in an S curve.
• Early adopters select the technology first,
  followed by the majority, until a technology or
  innovation is common.

• S-curve showing initial slow growth,
• a period of rapid adoption, and a
• gradual levelling off.

16
The Internet in Australia

• At the end of the March quarter 2007, there were
  6.43 million active Internet subscribers in
  Australia
• 761,000 business and government subscribers
• 5.67 million household subscribers.
• The number of non dial-up subscribers was 4.34
  million, compared with dial-up subscribers of
  2.09 million recorded at the end of March 2007.
• Non dial-up subscribers increased by 16 between
  September 2006 and March 2007. Dial-up dropped by
  16 in the same period.
• The growth in non dial-up was driven mainly by
  household subscribers.
• Non dial-up subscribers represented 67 of total
  Internet subscribers in Australia at the end of
  March 2007 compared with 60 at the end of
  September 2006.
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) continued to be the
  dominant access technology used for non dial-up
  subscribers, with 3.36 million or almost 78 of
  total non dial-up subscribers being connected
  using this means.
• Connections with download speeds of 1.5Mbps or
  greater increased by 43 in March 2007 to 1.56
  million, compared to 1.09 million subscribers at
  the end of September 2006.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007).

17
The Internet in Australia

• Type of connection (dial up or non-dial up)
• Connection speed (e.g. 1.5 Mbps, mega bytes per
  second)
• These are important as these effect the ways in
  which people can and do use the internet, e.g.
  what applications and programs they might use,
  how convenient/fast it is to access
  websites/download web pages etc.
• Where is Australia in terms of Diffusion of
  Innovation? Late majority?

18
How do you use the internet?
How do other people you know use the internet?
19
The Internet in Australia

• Population sub-group examples
• Children
• Baby boomers
• Men versus women
• Whos not using the internet

20
The Internet and Australian Children

• In the 12 months to April 2006, an estimated 65
  (1,730,700) children aged 5 to 14 years accessed
  the Internet either during or outside of school
  hours.
• The proportion of children accessing the Internet
  was the same for both males and females (65).
• Internet access varied across the age groups with
  19 of children aged 5 years accessing the
  Internet compared with 90 of 13 year olds.
• (ABS, 2006)

21
The Internet and Australian Children
Childrens participation in computer and internet
activities by age (ABS, 2006)
22
The Internet and Australian Children

• For 5 to 8 year olds
• 62 play online or Internet based games
• 62 use the internet for school or educational
• 38 access the Internet for leisure
• For 9 to 11 year olds
• 86 used the Internet at home for school or
  educational activities.
• 54 used it for playing online or Internet based
  games
• 44 for used the Internet for leisure
• 42 used if for emailing or messaging
• For 12 to 14 years olds
• 90 accessed the Internet at home for school or
  educational activities.
• 68 for emailing or messaging
• 52 were accessing the Internet for leisure
• 43 were playing online or Internet based games
• 40 were downloading music from Internet sites

23
The Internet and Australian Children

• How often are Australian children online?
• 73 of children who access the Internet at home
  did so more than once a week
• 25 did so every day.
• 39 of 12 to 14 year olds accessed it every day
• 18 of 9 to 11 year olds accessed it every day
• 10 of 5 to 8 year olds accessed it every day

24
Baby boomers and technology

• Born between 1946 1964 (approx 42 60 years of
  age)
• Primarily use technology to stay in touch (e.g.
  sending emails, viewing family photos online)
• Use VOIP (voice of internet protocol)
• Like mobile phones, but dont like SMS
• If they can do things in less time for less money
  they will.
• (Adnews, 2006)

25
Baby boomers and technology
26
Women vs men online

• From http//archive.dcita.gov.au/2003/08/index/eq
  uity. Accessed 06/08/2007

27
Whos not using the internet?
Source Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004)
28
What does this all mean?

• The internet is increasingly becoming a part of
  our personal, occupational, social and cultural
  lives.
• BUT internet access, usage and online activities
  vary by age, gender, ethnicity, geography and
  socioeconomic status. (Along with connection
  speed and type).

29
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Personal research on health issues
• Advice from health professionals
• Blogs
• Forums
• Support
• Health improvement, e.g. online health programs
• Other, e.g. games, virtual worlds
• ... Possible data sources for health researchers?

30
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Personal research searching health online
• About 65 of online health consumers say they
  click on results because of its relevance to a
  particular query
• 16 choose a result based on the trustworthiness
  of it source.
• Loyalty to health-related Web sites is fairly
  low.
• 19 of online health users have a few favorite
  Web sites they access when looking for
  information.
• The majority of online health users begin their
  research without a destination in mind and rely
  on search engines instead.
• Jupiter Research (2007) in Webpro News (2007)

31
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Advice from health professionals (blogging and
  forum)
• Two HCM City doctors are branching out their
  services in an unlikely medium blogging.
• Initiators of the blog, HCM City doctors Tran
  Manh Ha, now working in an Active Care Unit in a
  major hospital in the city and Doctor Hong Ha, an
  ophthalmologist at the Truong Vuong emergency
  hospital, set up the blog tranhabs80 or bs
  hongha to answer the needs of patients through
  the internet, a source of communication proving
  more and more popular in Viet Nam.
• So far the online health service has given many
  people guidance on health problems and provided a
  forum for discussion.
• Vietnam News Service (2007)

32
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Advice from health professionals
• A recent study, Gold Coast general practitioners
  recommendations of health websites to their
  patients to identify trends associated with
  health website recommendations by selected
  general practitioners to their patients found
• 59 (64/108) of participating GPs recommend
  health websites to their patients during
  consultations.
• Male GPs (63, 45/72), those aged 4150 years
  (55, 35/64), and those practising for
  (60, 12/20) are more inclined to recommend a
  health website to a patient.
• The majority of GPs (69, 44/64) reported that
  they most often recommended websites to patients
  2645 years old.
• A greater proportion of participating female GPs
  (47, 17/36) do not recommend health websites,
  compared with male GPs (38, 27/72).
• More than half the surveyed GPs actively
  recommend websites to their patients, with a GPs
  sex, age and years of experience influencing his
  or her recommendation decisions.
• Usher (2007)

33
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Forums
• An online discussion group, where participants
  may read and post topics of common interest.

34
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Forums

This site requires registration its not public
domain
35
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Forums Breastcancer.org public domain

36
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Forums ABA forum posting public domain

Use of web- specific
37
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Blogs
• Blog is short for weblog
• A journal that is available on the web.
• The activity of writing and updating a blog is
  "blogging.
• Someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger."
• Blogs are typically updated regularly using
  software that allows people with little or no
  technical background to update and maintain the
  blog.
• i.e. user friendly and accessible
• (From www.conceptwebsites.com/SEO/common-terms.ht
  m)

38
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Blogs health diaries public domain

39
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Self management health improvement programs
• Recent published research Internet-based
  self-management offers an opportunity to achieve
  better asthma control in adolescents found
• Internet and short message service are emerging
  tools for chronic disease management in
  adolescents, but few data exist on the barriers
  to and benefits of internet-based asthma
  self-management.
• Ninety-seven adolescents with mild-to-moderate
  persistent asthma monitored their asthma control
  on a designated Web site. After 4 weeks, 35
  adolescents participated in eight focus groups.
  Participants were stratified in terms of age,
  gender, and asthma control level. We used
  qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze
  the written focus group transcripts.
• Our findings reveal a need for the support of
  self-management in adolescents with poorly
  controlled asthma that can be met by the
  application of novel information and
  communication technologies. Internet-based
  self-management should therefore target
  adolescents with poor asthma control.
• van der Meer et al (2007)

40
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Self management health improvement programs

41
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?
Self management health improvement programs
42
How do people use the internet in relation to
health?

• Lobbying (e.g. PHAA re removal of abortion from
  the Crimes Act)
• Policy and research dissemination
• To undertake research
• .

43
What is online research?

• Research conducted via the internet
• email, forums, blogs, discussion groups, chat,
  websites, virtual worlds, video, photographs,
  audio, surveys, web analytics.
• In the last decade we have seen increasing use of
  the internet and CMC as a research tool
  following on from trends in market research.
• (Liamputtong Ezzy, (2005)

44
Collecting data online

• Web analytics
• Surveys and questionnaires
• Unobtrusive methods (e.g. observation, document
  analysis)
• Focus groups
• In-depth interviews

45
Online research - advantages

• Global potentially extended geographic reach
• Anytime 24/7
• Speed and immediacy
• Access to potentially huge volumes of data
• Potential to cross socio-cultural boundaries
• Access to small/niche/dispersed/marginalised
  populations who may not be easy to access in face
  to face methods. E.g.
• Mothers at home with small children
• People with disabilities
• Gay fathers
• People involved in illegal or stigmatised
  activities
• Cheap(er)
• Liamputtong and Ezzy (2005)

46
Online research - advantages

• Instantaneous exchange between researcher and
  participant
• Immediacy allows researcher to prompt
  participants
• Quick turn around of data can mean better use of
  the researchers contextual memory
• Greater equality between participant and
  researcher democratisation of exchange
• Participants can decide how and when they will
  respond
• Marginalities and socially ascribed roles can be
  less applicable (e.g. gender, age, sexuality,
  race, disability)
• Possibility of carrying out research in dangerous
  and politically sensitive areas offers some
  protection to researcher and participant because
  of geography and anonymity
• Participants may express opinions more openly,
  e.g. opinions not considered politically correct.
• Liamputtong and Ezzy (2005)

47
Online research - advantages

• Can provide an immediate text-based transcript
• ? reduced cost/time to researcher
• ? transcription errors
• ? accuracy
• With email/chat/blog/forum research the data
  analysed is what the participant wrote
• Can move data directly into data analysis
  software packages
• Liamputtong and Ezzy (2005)

48
Online research - disadvantages

• Lack of non-verbal data can be difficult for
  the participant and researcher.
• Easy to breach ethical issues online
• Inherent security issues with email and other
  online communication
• Limited by who has access to computer and
  internet (although this is decreasing)
• Self-selected, biased populations
• Patterns of internet use have ramifications for
  recruiting participants and the potential methods
  used for data collection (e.g. children versus
  baby boomers).
• It may be difficult to sustain interaction over
  time
• Participants can disappear into cyberspace
• It can be difficult to get attention of potential
  participants due to information overload
• Liamputtong and Ezzy (2005)

49
Synchronous and Asynchronous

• Synchronous real-time or chat
• an interchange of messages between two or more
  users simultaneously logged on at different
  computer terminals (Mann and Stewart, 20002 in
  Liamputtong, 200627).
• Asynchronous e.g. email
• allows users to type extended messages which are
  electronically transmitted to read, reply, print,
  forward or file them at their leisure (Mann and
  Stewart, 20002 in Liamputtong, 200627).

50
Gaining Consent Online

• There are several ways this can be done
• Email information sheet and consent form as
  attachment or in body of email to potential
  participants.
• Set up a website with details of research project
  and consent form. Consent form can be downloaded
  and emailed back to researcher.
• Send information and consent form to potential
  participants via conventional mail and ask that
  they send back via conventional mail.
• Provide consent form (via file share capability)
  and ask for consent to be provided in the
  research space (e.g. in private chat window)
• Couch (2006) Liamputtong Ezzy, (2005)
• Consider whether an actual signature is required
  or if typing yes/no is enough
• Liamputtong (2006)
• Think about whats practical and what will work
  with the medium. Dont put additional barriers in
  the way!

51
Confidentiality

• More problematic than in conventional research.
• Online communications are often not secure and
  you cant necessarily guarantee this as a
  researcher.
• Email can easily forwarded on without the
  knowledge of the original sender.
• Can build/use secure websites (http// vs
  https//)
• Use pseudonyms for participants and websites,
  forums etc, even though the participant may be
  already using a pseudonym.

52
Know your space

• Participant observation will allow you to
  understand the context of your research.
• It can provide information important to the
  successful implementation of online research
  (Kendall, 199957 in Liamputtong, 2006 35).
• E.g. if I had not used online dating myself I
  would not have understood how and why people
  transfer communications from the online dating
  websites to online chat programs.
• Know the appropriate emoticons and acronyms
  these may differ depending on the
  website/forum/interest group. Youll better
  understand responses and be better able to engage
  in conversations with your participants. Youll
  also type faster which is practical and
  important!

53
Emoticons
54
More emoticons
From http//messenger.msn.com/Resource/Emoticons.a
spx (Microsoft Corporation 2006).
55
Acronyms online

• Some examples
• A/S Age/Sex
• A/S/L Age/Sex/Location
• AFAIC As Far As I'm Concerned
• BBFN Bye Bye For Now
• BBS Be Back Soon
• LMAO Laughing My Ass Off
• LOL Laughing Out Loud
• TTC Trying to Conceive
• BD Baby Dancing (sex)
• DH/DS/DD Darling Husband or Darling Son or
  Darling Daughter

56
Recruiting participants

• Via email direct access to individuals without
  the use of intermediaries (Mann and Stewart,
  200081 in Liamputtong, 200627)
• Special interest/relevant/appropriate websites
• Web searches
• Posting hyperlinks on websites
• Advertising on relevant websites, e.g. Google ad
  words
• Ads in newsgroups, email list serves
• Social networking websites
• Formal gatekeepers, e.g. forum moderators,
  website owners
• Conventional methods, e.g. leaflets, fliers
• Snowball sampling

57
Recruiting participants

• If recruiting online keep in mind
• Your call to participate needs to be interesting
  /engaging/ relevant/appropriate.
• You need to get their attention people are
  often multi-tasking when online.
• Many people use the internet for leisure
  activities you may be intruding on this
• Make it as easy as possible, e.g. click on a link
  and be taken to relevant site.
• The internet is about speed and convenience. Make
  sure you address this.
• If your process is tedious your email will be
  deleted/the browser closed or the potential
  participant will just move on to a more
  interesting activity.
• The internet gives power and control to the
  individual thats why people like it! If they
  receive communication deemed irrelevant theyll
  just move on. Youll miss the opportunity.

58
Collecting data online

• Web analytics
• Surveys and questionnaires
• Unobtrusive methods (e.g. observation, document
  analysis)
• Focus groups
• In-depth interviews

59
Web analytics

• The process of collating and analysing a
  website's activity based on metrics to measure
  its performance (from www.whitespace-strategy.co.
  uk/knowledge_phrasebook.php)
• A tool that collects data on web site users
  behavior (from www.tractionsearch.com/se-dicti
  onary.php)
• E.g. Google Analytics http//www.google.com/analy
  tics Nielsen/Netratings http//www.nielsen-netrat
  ings.com Hitwise http//www.hitwise.com

60
Web analytics

• Aggregated metrics can include
• Page view A pageview is an instance of a page
  being loaded by a browser.
• Session A period of interaction between a
  visitor's browser and a particular website,
  ending when the browser is closed or shut down,
  or when the user has been inactive on that site
  for a specified period of time.
• Unique visitors Unique Visitors represents the
  number of unduplicated (counted only once)
  visitors to your website over the course of a
  specified time period. A Unique Visitor is
  determined using cookies.
• Also measures browsers, connections speeds
• From Google Analytics (2007)

61
Web analytics
62
Surveys and questionnaires

• Can be quick and cheap to produce online
• Easy to disseminate e.g. via email, list serves,
  links on websites
• Can aggregate data for the researcher
• Can provide quick update on number of responses
  to date.
• E.g. http//www.surveymonkey.com/
• Can use this for free with up to 100 responses,
  10 questions, offers pre built questions

63
Surveys and questionnaires
64
Unobtrusive methods

• The internet is the most comprehensive
  electronic archive of written material
  representing our world and peoples opinions,
  concerns and desires (Eysenbach and Till,
  20011103 in Liamputtong, 2006 37).
• Excellent opportunities for discourse analysis.

65
Unobtrusive methods

• Potential data sources
• Health websites
• Blogs
• Forums and discussion boards
• Video, photographs
• Also policies and news
• Ensure you are accessing data in the public
  domain, otherwise you will need to consider how
  you will get access and permission to this data
  and ethics approval.

66
Focus Groups

• Synchronous or asynchronous?
• Synchronous (real-time/live) multi-user chat
• Asynchronous online forum/discussion group
• Post question to the group, await responses
• Things to consider
• Is your topic of interest/relevance to group
• Are there group dynamics at play that you need to
  be aware of, and/or specific group rule/protocols
• How will you gain consent from participants?
• Do you know the relevant acronyms for the topic?

67
In depth interviews

• Real time chat (synchronous)
• Email (asynchronous)

68
Case Study Online interviews

• Study Online Dating and Mating
• Initially I wanted to sample personal profiles
  from a sexually focused online dating site and
  to explore the listed sexual behaviours and
  themes relating to risk and risk management.
• Website changed its terms and conditions to
  explicitly prohibit use of its content for
  research purposes.
• Users of the website posted warnings to
  researchers not to use content from their
  profiles.
• Reoriented project to interview people online via
  chat about their experiences.
• Research questions
• How do people who use online dating think about
  risk and safety and safety in relation to their
  online dating contacts and interactions?
• How do people experience engagement and
  interaction with those they meet, both online and
  offline, particularly in a sexual context.
• What public health risks and opportunities does
  online present?

69
Case Study Online interviews

• Recruiting
• Snowball recruiting through my own personal
  contacts and contacts of my contacts.
• Also tried to post an invitation to participate
  on the website community notice board. The
  posting was denied. This was around the time of
  the Maria Korp case.
• Using the internet to meet people? We would like
  to hear from you.
• Want to share your experiences?
• Hello,
• As a fellow online dater and ____ user, I am
  interested in exploring sexual behaviour and
  online dating as part of my thesis.
• The research project will aim to examine the use
  of the internet and online adult dating to meet
  sexual partners, and to gain insights into the
  sexual interests and behaviours of people using
  the internet to meet sexual partners.
• I am very keen to hear the thoughts of other
  people who use online dating, and I would like to
  undertake confidential online interviews with
  anyone interested in being involved. The
  interview would take place via chat software
  (e.g. MSN Messenger)
• I will provide an information sheet and a consent
  form which outline the project and your potential
  involvement. You will be able to opt out of the
  interview at any point.
• I hope that the interview process will be
  insightful for all parties involved, so that we
  all get something out of the experience.
• If you would like to be involved or would like
  further information please contact me at
  onlineresearch_at_optusnet.com.au
• Thanks,
• Danielle

70
Case Study Online interviews

• Recruiting
• Also recruited by changing my handle. My regular
  handles at the time included
• Miss Spectra
• Studious Spectra
• Spectra is sleeping
• Domestic Goddess
• For specifically recruiting people to interview
  for the project, I used these handles
• Lets talk about sex and online dating
• Anyone want to talk about online dating and
  sex???
• Im looking for people to interview

71
Case Study Online interviews
This is a handle
72
Case Study Online interviews

• Why was chat an appropriate way to interview for
  this project?
• Sex and sexual behaviours are largely private
  activities.
• Often religious, social, moral and cultural norms
  and taboos surrounding the discussion of sexual
  behaviour - these can influence how and which
  people participate in sex research (Fenton et al,
  2001 Wang Ross, 2002).
• Chat may have allowed participants to respond
  more freely, without feeling constrained by what
  might be regarded as risky or deviant behaviours.
  
• (Markham, 2004).
• Allowed (perceived) confidentiality and privacy.
  
• This may have assisted in ensuring the data
  collected best represented the actual sexual
  interests, activities and behaviours being sought
  and lived through online dating.
• Online chat is not constrained by geography or
  time
• (Liamputtong and Ezzy, 2005 Liamputtong, 2006a).
  
• Gives control to the participants.

73
A Chat Example
This is a handle
74
A Chat Example
75
A Chat Transcript Example
76
(No Transcript)
77
(No Transcript)
78
(No Transcript)
79
Case Study Online interviews

• What was difficult about chat?
• Dialogue is not always linear
• Wordplay such as, jest, sarcasm or the use of
  metaphors can cause ambiguity (Davis et al.,
  2004).
• Sometimes needed to seek clarification from
  participants about their comments and remarks.
• It is not possible to see a participants face
  when conducting the interview, or to gauge their
  facial expressions (Liamputtong, 2006a). This
  could result in the interviewer missing nuances
  within the dialogue,
• Although Davis et al. (2004) argue that online
  interviewing is its own distinctive social
  practice and should not be simply compared or
  equated to face-to-face interviewing.
• Chat does allow the sharing of feelings and
  expressions through the use of emoticons,
  acronyms and through the text that is typed.
• Users can also personalise the way in which their
  text appears in chat, e.g. changing font
  type/size/colour. Users can display an image
  file, e.g. personal photo or avatar.
• Learning to slow down and wait for responses.
• Accepting that people multi-task when online.

80
Case Study Online interviews

• Other things to consider
• Participants multi-tasking, e.g. one participant
  was in four chats and had a guy masturbating on
  webcam while chatting to me.
• Learning to slow down
• Markham (1998 70) noted that because writing
  takes much longer than talking, being a good
  interviewer means being patient.
• i.e. typing takes longer than talking, and so
  responses take longer to iterate.

81
Case Study Online interviews

• Consent
• Sent form via email or chat
• Asked participant to consent in our chat
  conversation

82
Case Study Online interviews

• Findings
• Online daters used a variety of methods for
  managing and understanding the risks they
  perceived to be associated with OD.
• For many, the control offered by the online
  environment was central to risk management.
• More generally, control is a key issue concerning
  why and how people use CMC and it is also a
  perceived benefit (Markham 1998). As Markham
  (1998, p.213) notes
• Online technologies extend our physical
  capacities in many ways and offer potential for
  greater control over the flow of information and
  the presentation of self As an augmentation of
  the self that is situated outside the body,
  online communication technology offers a powerful
  means of control over the text, over the
  performance of self through the text, and control
  over Others capacities as well.

83
Where to from here?

• The internet is ever changing and developing
• As researchers we need to keep abreast of these
  changes to remain relevant
• Increasing convergence of various technologies
  and mediae.g. telephony with internet, SMS with
  internet, digital TV, user controlled content

84
Some definitions

• Browser
• Domain name
• ISP
• Wiki
• Open source
• VOIP
• WAP
• Chat and IM

• Emoticons
• Cookie
• Forum
• Email
• RSS
• Avatar
• Social networking

85
General tips, ideas and resources

• Google Advanced searching http//www.google.com.a
  u/advanced_search?hlen
• Google Advanced Operators http//www.google.com/h
  elp/operators.html
• Google News Alerts http//www.google.com/alerts?h
  lent1
• Google Scholar (Beta) http//scholar.google.com/s
  chhp?hlennedautabnsq
• Understanding domain naming protocols. E.g. .com
  .co.uk .edu.au .org .int .vic.gov.au etc.
• Referencing online sources

86
References

• Adnews (2006) Marketing to Baby Boomers Special
  Report, 14 July 2006, Surrey Hills, Yaffa
  Publishing Group.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004) Australia
  Online How Australians are using computers and
  the internet, 2001. Commonwealth of Australia,
  Canberra.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006). 4901.0 -
  Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure
  Activities, Australia, Apr 2006. Latest Issue
  Released at 1130 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 15/12/2006.
  http//www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs_at_.nsf/Lookup/0B1
  4D86E14A1215ECA2569D70080031C Accessed
  27/07/2007 _at_ 1243pm
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007). 8153.0 -
  Internet Activity, Australia, Mar 2007, Latest
  Issue Released at 1130 AM (CANBERRA TIME)
  01/06/2007 http//www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs_at_.nsf
  /mf/8153.0/ Accessed 29/07/02207 _at_ 1221pm
• Couch, D (2006). Online dating and mating the
  use of the internet to meet sexual partners,
  School of Public Health, La Trobe University.
• Davis, M., Bolding, G., Hart, G., Sherr, L.,
  Elford, J. (2004). Reflecting on the experience
  of interviewing online Perspectives from the
  Internet and HIV study in London. AIDS Care,
  16(8), 944-952.
• Fenton, K A, Johnson, A M, McManus, S and Erens,
  B (2001). Measuring sexual behaviour
  Methodological challenges in survey research,
  Sexually Transmitted Infections 77, 84-92.
• Google Analytics (2007). Google Analytics Help
  Center. http//www.google.com/support/googleanalyt
  ics/?hlen_US Accessed 27/07/2007, 659pm
• Hewson, C., Yule, P., Laurent, D., Vogel, C.
  (2003). Internet Research Methods a practical
  guide for the social and behavioural sciences.
  London Sage Publications.
• Internet World Stats (2007). Internet usage and
  statistics - The big picture. http//www.internetw
  orldstats.com/stats.htm Accessed 08/07/2007 at
  1124am
• Jupiter Research (2007) US Online Health Consumer
  Survey, 2007 Understanding Search Behavior.
  http//www.jupiterresearch.com

87
References

• Liamputtong, P, and Ezzy, D. (2005) Qualitative
  research methods. 2nd ed. Melbourne Oxford
  University Press.
• Liamputtong, P. (ed) (2006). Health research in
  cyberspace Methodological, practical and
  personal issues. New York Nova Science
  Publishers.
• Markham, A. (1998). Life online researching real
  experience in virtual space. Walnut Creek,
  Altamira Press.
• O'Dochartaigh, N. (2002). The Internet research
  handbook A practical guide for students and
  researchers in the social sciences. London Sage
  Publications.
• Usher, W. T. (2007). Gold Coast general
  practitioners recommendations of health websites
  to their patients MJA 2007 187 (2) 82-83
  Accessed 29/07/2007, 249pm
• van der Meer V, van Stel HF, Detmar SB, Otten W,
  Sterk PJ, Sont JK. (2007). Internet-based
  self-management offers an opportunity to achieve
  better asthma control in adolescents. Chest.
  2007 Jul132(1)112-9.
• Vietnam News Service (2007) Health counselling
  available on internet, Vietnam News Service.
  http//vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php
  ?num01HEA160707 Accessed 27/07/2006, 236pm
• Wang, Q., Ross, M.W. (2002). Differences
  between chat room and e-mail sampling approaches
  in Chinese men who have sex with men. AIDS
  Education Prevention, 14(5), 361-366.
• Webpro news (2007). Users Rely On Search For
  Health Information, http//www.webpronews.com/topn
  ews/2007/07/16/users-rely-on-search-for-health-inf
  ormation Accessed 29/07/2007, 230pm