Internet Research Methods
- Claire Hewson - The Open University
- Carl Vogel - Trinity College, University of Dublin
- Dianna Laurent - Southeastern Louisiana University, USA
The internet is a compelling tool for research, enabling efficient, cost-effective data collection and facilitating access to large samples and new populations. This book presents a state-of-the-art guide to the internet as a tool for conducting research in the social and behavioural sciences using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches.
New to this edition:
- Fully re-written to reflect the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies
- Expanded coverage of web surveys for data collection
- Unobtrusive methods to harvest data from online archives and documents
- New practical tools and resources, where to find them, and how to keep up-to-date with new developments as they emerge
- New chapter on research ethics and discussion of ethical practicalities throughout
Guiding the reader through the theoretical, ethical and practical issues of using the internet in research, this is an essential resource for researchers wishing to assess how the latest techniques, tools and methods in internet-mediated research may support and expand research in their own field.
The book provides a concise explanation of modern internet research methods. The summary is very clear, and many different issues are discussed, including ethics. My course in research methods runs each year, and is compulsory for all masters in psychology (more than 15 different master's degrees). The book was one of my recommended books this year, and it will be next year (so 2015 and 2016).
The book is an interesting asset for students who will be starting to do Internet-related in the context of academic research. In this aspect the book provides valuable information, however, the format of the book and the way the information is displayed is not welcoming to the target audience of first-year students. A second reason to not adopt the book is that media and communication research has particular needs that the book does not address in sufficient detail. This is not to say that the content is not good, but rather that its focus does not suit the needs of Internet-based qualitative media research.
It is an ideal book for students who are unfamiliar with the current trends of Internet based research
A very good general textbook on using the internet to gather robust data sets
This is an excellent and essential text for anyone conducting online research or teaching others how to get the most out of online resources. A must read for all researchers and postgraduates and a core text for undergraduate research.
Internet Research Methods by Hewnson, Vogel and Laurent (2016) is the second edition to the original book published in 2002. The latest edition follows up on the previous but it encompasses the vast growth that has taken place in the field over the past decade. It is great to have such a recent and up-to-date book for class.
An important feature of the book is that is aimed not only at researchers but at students as well and this is illustrated by its user-friendly approach and systematic and organized structuring of chapters. The authors begin with a brief history of the internet which is essential in setting the tone for the following chapters. The rest of the book, very clearly shifts from one topic to another and the flow is uninterrupted. This in turn allows for the reader to fully understand the crux of every chapter and building a foundation to take in knowledge from the following chapters. It is fun to read, the right level for my students and a very timely source book.
- Fully re-written to reflect the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies
- Expanded coverage of web surveys for data collection
- Unobtrusive methods to harvest data from online archives and documents
- New practical tools and resources, where to find them, and how to keep up-to-date with new developments
- New chapter on research ethics and discussion of ethical practicalities throughout.
