Journal of Social Issues · 2002 · 305 citations · 3 references
Computer EthicPsychological ResearchOnline ExperimentEducationDigital EthicResearch EthicsCommunicationInternet LaboratoryJournalismHuman Research EthicInternet StudyInformation EthicInternet StudiesPrivacyUser ResearchInternet LawResearch MisconductBasic Design IssuesArtsSurvey Methodology
Internet‑based research differs from traditional lab studies in methodology, ethics, security, and participant behavior, raising concerns about confidentiality, anonymity, data transmission, storage, and potential misbehavior. The paper aims to review essential design considerations for Internet studies, such as participant self‑selection and loss of experimental control, and to propose methods for detecting and mitigating threats to validity. The authors discuss practical strategies to identify and reduce participant misbehavior and other validity threats in online research.
Differences between traditional laboratory research and Internet‐based research require a review of basic issues of research methodology. These differences have implications for research ethics (e.g., absence of researcher, potential exposure of confidential data and/or identity to a third party, guaranteed debriefing) and security (e.g., confidentiality and anonymity, security of data transmission, security of data storage, and tracking participants over time). We also review basic design issues a researcher should consider before implementing an Internet study, including the problem of participant self‐selection and loss of experimental control on the Internet laboratory. An additional challenge for Internet‐based research is the increased opportunity for participant misbehavior, intentional or otherwise. We discuss methods to detect and minimize these threats to the validity of Internet‐based research.
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