A presentation on online methodology and tips on how to study online phenomena.

1. Online Research:
New Challenges &
Opportunities
Glen Farrelly
University of Toronto

2. Outline
• Definition of “online”
• Online research methods
 types
 benefits & limitations
• Studying online phenomena
• Tips & caveats
• In-class exercise
• Bibliography

3. What Constitutes “Online”?

4. Online Research
Methods

5. Online Research Methods
• Using Internet or mobile
tools or content to collect
research data
• Online methods can
study online or
offline phenomena

6. Types of Online Methods
Common online methods:
• Web-based surveys
• Email & VoIP interviews
• Computer-captured data
• Remote observation

7. Other Online Methods
• Audience response systems
• Remote user testing
& experiments
• Autoethnography
(via blogging)
• Photo documentation
(via mobile device)

8. Benefits of Online Methods
For researchers:
• Lowers costs
• Increases geographical reach
• Facilitates data transcription & analysis
For participants:
• Reduces spatial & temporal barriers
• Channel preference & familiarity

9. Limits of Online Methods
• Digital Divide, limits participation by:
 Access (rural areas, income)
 Literacy & technical familiarity
 Physical abilities
• Glitches & cross-platform support
• Difficulty controlling research environment
(e.g., participant distraction)

10. Studying
Online
Phenomena

11. Why Study Online Phenomena?

12. Choosing a Method
Options:
• Online methods
• Offline methods
• Both
Consider:
• Research objectives
• Context of study
• Location & familiarity of participants
Eye-tracking study
of how people view webpages

13. Tips
&
Caveats

14. Ethical Online Research
• Consent not needed to research “public forum”
• If you need to register for website, then get
informed consent from participants
• Be careful if considering deception or
working with children or medically infirm

15. Beware the “Real Life” Trap
“Consequently, an analysis that takes
the face-to-face as its starting point
is unable to explain the specificity
of the online phenomenon it aims
to study; it can explain what is going
on online only in terms of
face-to-face qualities.”
(Orgad, p.48)

16. Online Is Not Ahistorical
Sharing your location with friends via a mobile
app Foursquare or a postcard

17. Technological
Determinism
Human
Agency
VS.
• Methods lead to different assumptions
So consider carefully…
• Establish a theoretical framework to situate your research
e.g., McLuhan’s media effects theory
Maslow’s uses and gratification theory

18. Class Activity

19. Background:
• Museum of Civilization changing name and focus
• Campaign to hear from Canadians on the changes
• CBC ran a news article
on this and enabled public
to comment
• Result = a rich source of
discourse on this issue
Coding Online Discourse

20. 1. Read through CBC article and
reader comments
2. As you encounter passages of interest,
circle it and give it an indicative
label (a “code”)
3. Codes can be one word or a few
4. Be creative – similar to brainstorming
5. Find other instances of the code
Exercise Instructions

21. Identifying Themes
1. Find a partner
2. Discuss prominent or reoccurring
codes you identified
3. Discuss how your findings help
elucidate a theme or indicate a pattern

22. Class Discussion
1. What themes did you find?
2. What level of analysis did you use?
3. What did you learn from your
experience of coding?

23. Conclusion
&
Questions

24. Bibliography
• Bakardjieva, M. (2009). A response to Shani Orgad. Internet inquiry:
Conversations about method (pp. 54–60). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Brown, M. C. (2012, August 16). An iPhone in the DRC. Time.
Retrieved from http://lightbox.time.com/
• Fielding, N. G., Lee, R. M., & Blank, G. (Eds.). (2008). The Sage handbook of
online research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Hamilton, R. J., & Bowers, B. J. (2006). Internet recruitment & e-mail interviews in
qualitative studies. Qualitative Health Research, 16(6), 821–835.
• Markham, A., & Buchanan, E. (2012). Ethical decision-making & Internet research:
Version 2.0. AoIR. Retrieved from http://aoir.org/documents/ethics-guide
• Nielsen, J. (2006, April 17). F-shaped pattern for reading web content. Alertbox.
Retrieved from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html
• Opdenakker, R. (2006). Advantages & disadvantages of four interview techniques in
qualitative research. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 7(4), 1.
• Orgad, S. (2009). How can researchers make sense of the issues involved in
collecting & interpreting online & offline data? In A. Markham & N. K. Baym (Eds.),
Internet inquiry: Conversations about method (pp. 33–53).Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.