Internet Research Skills is a clear, concise guide to effective online research for social science and humanities students. The first half of the book deals with publications online, devoting separate chapters to academic articles, books, official publications and news sources, which form the core secondary sources for social science research. The second half of the book deals with the open web, a vast and confusing realm of materials, many of which have no direct print counterpart. The third edition has been updated throughout and now includes: - coverage of cutting edge online services as well as newly developed approaches to using online materials - a new chapter on organising your research and internet research methods - additional material on the use of social networks for research. - illustrations, examples and short exercises to help you put what you learn into practice. Internet Research Skills is an invaluable guide for undergraduate students carrying out research projects and for postgraduate students working on theses and dissertations.
Internet Research Skills is a clear and concise guide to the effective use of the Internet for students in the social sciences. The open web is becoming central to student research practice, not least because of its accessibility, and this clear text describes search strategies and outlines the critical skills necessary to deal with such diverse and disorganized materials. This book covers all of the essential aspects of Internet research, with each chapter containing a number of illustrations, inset boxes, and short exercises.
Internet Research Skills is a clear, concise guide to effective online research for social science and humanities students. The first half of the book deals with publications online, devoting separate chapters to academic articles, books, official publications and news sources, which form the core secondary sources for social science research. The second half of the book deals with the open web, a vast and confusing realm of materials, many of which have no direct print counterpart. The third edition has been updated throughout and now includes: - coverage of cutting edge online services as well as newly developed approaches to using online materials - a new chapter on organising your research and internet research methods - additional material on the use of social networks for research. - illustrations, examples and short exercises to help you put what you learn into practice. Internet Research Skills is an invaluable guide for undergraduate students carrying out research projects and for postgraduate students working on theses and dissertations.
Whether or not one believes the hyperbolic claims about the Internet being the biggest thing since the invention of the wheel, the Internet is a medium with great consequences for social and economic life. Doing Internet Research is written to help people discern in what ways it has commanded the public imagination, and the methodological issues that arise when one tries to study and understand the social processes occurring within the Internet. Each contributor to the volume offers original responses in the search for, and critique of, methods with which to study the Internet and the social, political, economic, artistic, communicative phenomena occurring within and around it. This book provides encouragement for readers getting started with Internet research and also provides perspective on this new and ubiquitous communication medium.
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.
This book will be vital reading for anyone doing research, since using the web to find high quality information is a key research skill. It introduces beginners and experts alike to the most effective techniques for searching the web, assessing and organising information and using it in a range of scenarios from undergraduate essays and projects to PhD research. Nigel Ford shows how using the web poses opportunities and challenges that impact on student research at every level, and he explains the skills needed to navigate the web and use it effectively to produce high quality work. Ford connects online skills to the research process. He helps readers to understand research questions and how to answer them by constructing arguments and presenting evidence in ways that will enhance their impact and credibility. The book includes clear and helpful coverage of beginner and advanced search tools and techniques, as well as the processes of: @!critically evaluating online information @!creating and presenting evidence-based arguments @!organizing, storing and sharing information @!referencing, copyright and plagiarism. As well as providing all the basic techniques students need to find high quality information on the web, this book will help readers use this information effectively in their own research. Nigel Ford is Professor in the University of Sheffield′s Information School.
Online research methods are popular, dynamic and fast-changing. Following on from the great success of the first edition, published in 2008, The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods, Second Edition offers both updates of existing subject areas and new chapters covering more recent developments, such as social media, big data, data visualization and CAQDAS. Bringing together the leading names in both qualitative and quantitative online research, this new edition is organised into nine sections: 1. Online Research Methods 2. Designing Online Research 3. Online Data Capture and Data Collection 4. The Online Survey 5. Digital Quantitative Analysis 6. Digital Text Analysis 7. Virtual Ethnography 8. Online Secondary Analysis: Resources and Methods 9. The Future of Online Social Research The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods, Second Edition is an essential resource for anyone interested in the contemporary practice of computer-mediated research and scholarship.
To many people, the use of computers and the Internet as research tools is not a new concept. To others, though, computers are a relatively recent if necessary addition to their research toolkit. A lack of experience presents many difficulties for first-time users and others with limited computer know-how. This work, a second edition to the acclaimed Internet Research: Theory and Practice provides useful information for anyone who wants to broaden the range and scope of their research tools or anyone who wants to increase their knowledge about what is available electronically. The author discusses the following: basic methods of research using Internet protocols, Internet history, techniques for online searching, research theory and suggestions for maximizing results, mechanisms helpful in distinguishing good from bad or mediocre information, and ways for individuals to improve their research skills. Also included is an expanded discussion of Internet search engines and their operation, issues in scholarly communication and other emerging matters, and an enlarged and updated bibliography.
`Internet Communication and Qualitative Research is a trailblazing introduction to data sources that will come to the fore in the new millennium. Its cogent discussion of the techniques, ethics and methods of analysis of Internet data should be read by every qualitative researcher′ - David Silverman, Goldsmiths College `The internet is exploding with possibilities for conducting social research. Mann and Stewart offer the first in-depth consideration of the prospects and potentials for doing qualitative research on-line. This wide ranging, clearly-written book is essential reading for researchers working at the cutting edge of qualitative methodology′ - James A. Holstein, Marquette University `This is e-scholarship. The book is a transformative project which brings the best skills of the old print scholarship to the cyberworld. The authors are no mere theoreticians - but hands-on net-users, who have made the imaginative leap to the dot.com world, and who have mapped the way for net research and researchers. The authors are pioneers in the realm of digit-crit - opening the way with their critical evaluation of the digital media and net research. They profile the skills required by the online researcher and evaluate the context in which they are used - in relation to privacy, security, ethics and legal considerations. They also take up issues of power; they explore the social and political implications of the digital media, (with specific reference to gender) and the role of the online researcher. An absolute must for cybercitizens and an indispensable guide for students, researchers, and knowledge workers in the dot.com world′ - Dale Spender `Mann and Stewart have prized open the mysteries of on-line qualitative research. For those new to this methodology the technology review demystifies; the social science research ethics issues are re-addressed with reference to the on-line situation; methods of conducting online focus groups and interviews, in particular, are detailed. The tone is both analytical and practical with a host of techniques suggested. I recommend this accessible text for all qualitative researchers, both academic and practitioner′ - Rehan Ul-Haq, University of Birmingham Business School `Here is the clear, useful guide to the Internet research needed by all of us interested in on-line relationships and research. The authors address such issues as ethics, confidentiality, the theory and practice of on-line research, and on-line power relationships (which will be of concern in distance learning plans and programs). A very valuable book.′ - Cheris Kramarae, Center for the Study of Women in Society, University of Oregon `Wonderful - "beyond the software" and into on-line interaction to aid and abet our qualitative research. This book shines the light. Mann and Stewart are to be congratulated in offering qualitative researchers effective and authentic ways forward through electronic communication. I′ll use and recommend it!′ - Gilly Salmon, Centre for Information and Innovation, Open University Business School `Opens to view a whole new avenue for social research. Internet communication is the wave of the future. Mann and Stewart capture its potential with insight, caution, and consummate procedural skill. Pathbreaking in its area of research methodology! Students and researchers will be very pleased with its clarity and usefulness′ - Jaber F Gubrium, Department of Sociology, University of Florida `The authors have produced a timely and stimulating publication with handy explanations of Internet terms and qualitative research applications. This work should be made readily available not only for reference to academics and practitioners of marketing, but also to those with a lay interest in it′ - Professor Len Tiu Wright, De Montfort University Internet Communication and Qualitative Research is the first textbook to examine the impact of Internet technology on qualitative research methods. Drawing on many pioneering studies using computer-mediated communication (CMC), the authors show how online researchers can employ Internet-based qualitative methods to collect rich, descriptive, contextually-situated data. They discuss the methodological, practical and theoretical considerations associated with such methods as: in-depth online interviewing, virtual focus groups, participant observation in virtual communities. This is a comprehensive and practical guide that: - reviews online research practice and basic Internet technology - looks in detail at the skills required by the online researcher - examines the ethical, confidentiality, security and legal issues involved in online research - considers the theoretical challenges surrounding data collected in a ′virtual venue′ - addresses the social and cultural impact of researching online through a discussion of power, gender and identity issues in the virtual world. Internet Communication and Qualitative Research will be an indispensable guide for all students and researchers working in the digital age.
This book is a resource for using the internet as a tool in all aspects of nursing research--conducting it, teaching it, and using it. From searching online databases to creating surveys and recruiting research subjects online, the internet opens new possibilities in the research process, as well as new problems. Experienced researchers describe internet-based research methods, information on online methods for teaching research, and accessing the research of others. The appendixes include samples of existing research projects that use internet-based methodologies, as well as a listing of online resources for researchers.
