The internet: a productive research environment for social scientists

• Author: Tulbure, B. T.
• Position: Department of Psychology, Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 71-78

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 4 (53) •No. 1 - 2011

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law

THE INTERNET: A PRODUCTIVE

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

FOR SOCIAL SCIENTISTS

Bogdan Tudor TULBURE1

Abstract: Since the first web-studies in 1995, scientists have investigated

the major issues regarding the new Internet based research methods, study

designs and on-line data collection techniques. New software programs and

manuals make it easy for newcomers to implement simple experimental

procedures in cyberspace. Despite their limits, most researchers consider the

advantages of Internet research as greater comparing with their

disadvantages. The Internet has changed the major aspects of social sciences

– from how researchers communicate to how they publish their studies.

Key words: Internet, web study, cyber research, Internet-based research

methods.

1 Department of Psychology, Transilvania University of Braşov.

“The Internet is but the latest

technological advances that have changed

our world in fundamental ways.” [5]

1. Introduction

Besides its most common functions

(email, searching for various information),

the Internet has become a dynamic tool for

social scientists. Many questionnaires and

experimental procedures can now be

presented to everyone willing to answer

them over the Internet. The data can be

automatically stored at low costs. Once the

study is on the web, the researcher has just

to make sure that no technical problems

interfere. Being available 24 hours a day,

seven days a week, a large number of

participants can be remotely tested. The

demographic and socio-economic diversity

of study participants can now embody a

standard that was unattainable for the

previous generation of social scientists.

2. Internet-based research methods

As a communication environment, the

Internet yields to the interested researcher

a wide range of possibilities that were

unimaginable 20 years ago. These

opportunities lay anywhere between mere

observing the virtual behaviours of

different online discussion group members

to the educational and therapeutic

interventions that address specific

symptoms. Recent books and updated web

pages are continuously inviting novice and

experienced researchers to acquire and/or

refine their web research skills. Social

scientists are mainly encouraged to master

the necessary algorithms to create a web

page with a straight-forward questionnaire

or a short study within a virtual lab (see

Birnbaum, 2001; Fraley, 2004; or

www.surveymonkey.com,

http://www.onlinepsychresearch.co.uk,

http://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/prog