Internet Data Collection

The Internet has been both an important research tool and an important area of inquiry for peace psychologists. As a tool, the Internet has enabled investigators to research topics through the use of email, online surveys, chat rooms, and electronic focus groups. These methods often enable researchers to access difficult-to-reach populations and build large participant pools and collect data amendable to complex statistical analyses (e.g., factor analysis, structural equation modeling). Anderson and Kanuka (2003) stated that “like any useful tool in the hands of a skilled practitioner, the Net can provide opportunities and techniques that enhance many components of our research practice” (p. 3). Keywords: research ethics; informed consent; privacy; confidentiality; anonymity; debriefing; synchronous data collection; asynchronous data collection; online hate group research; content analysis; massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG); online chat rooms; virtual community; surveymonkey