This book goes beyond the basics to teach readers advanced methods for conducting behavioral research on the Internet. Readers are shown, step by step, how to conduct online experiments, surveys, and ability testing, use advanced graphic tools, apply automatic text analysis tools, check the validity of protocols, and much more. The Internet is revolutionizing the way psychologists conduct behavioral research. Studies conducted online are not only less error-prone and labor-intensive but also rapidly reach large numbers of diverse participants at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. In addition to improving the efficiency and accuracy of data collection, online studies provide automatic data storage and deliver immediate personalized feedback to research participants—a major incentive that can exponentially expand participant pools. Furthermore, behavioral researchers can also track data on online behavioral phenomena, including Instant Messaging
Table of ContentsContributors
I. Getting Started
- How to Use This Book
—John A. Johnson and Samuel D. Gosling
- An Overview of Major Techniques of Web-Based Research
—Michael H. Birnbaum
II. Considerations When Designing Web Pages
- Design and Formatting in Internet-Based Research
—Ulf-Dietrich Reips
- Using Graphics, Photographs, and Dynamic Media
—John H. Krantz and John E. Williams
- Drag & Drop: A Flexible Method for Moving Objects, Implementing Rankings, and a Wide Range of Other Applications
—Wolfgang Neubarth
III. Studying Internet Behavior
- Collecting Data From Social Networking Web Sites and Blogs
—Elizabeth Mazur
- Using Automated "Field Notes" to Observe the Behavior of Online Subjects
—Sonja Utz
- Automatic Text Analysis
—Matthias R. Mehl and Alastair J. Gill
IV. Transporting Traditional Methodologies to the Web
- Internet-Based Ability Testing
—Ulrich Schroeders, Oliver Wilhelm, and Stefan Schipolowski
- Web-Based Self-Report Personality Scales
—John A. Johnson
- Online Collection of Informant Reports
—Simine Vazire
- Conducting Online Surveys
—Tracy L. Tuten
- Conducing True Experiments on the Web
—Ulf-Dietrich Reips and John H. Krantz
V. Cross-Cutting Issues
- Using Lotteries, Loyalty Points, and Other Incentives to Increase Participant Response and Completion
—Anja S. Göritz
- Security and Data Protection: Collection, Storage, and Feedback in Internet Research
—Olaf Thiele and Lars Kaczmirek
- Ethical Issues in Psychological Research on the Internet
—Tom Buchanan and John E. Williams
Index
About the Editors
