A Guide to Conducting Online Research

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.

At Boston College since September 2001, I work for the Bioinformatics Program in the Biology Department of Boston College. I am primarily a system administrator for their dedicated servers and consultant for related issues. Before 2005 I worked in Research and Instructional Services (RITS) under Academic Technology Services (ATS) as a consultant to faculty, staff and students on configuration, maintenance and usage of Unix/Linux on Boston College research computers.