Using the Internet for Market Research: A Study of Private Trading on the Internet

At first sight the Internet seems to offer the perfect vehicle for the conduct of market research. However, there are challenging methodological difficulties in using this medium and there is much yet to be learned. This paper reviews the potentials and pitfalls involved. It then presents the results of a study of private trading over the Internet and analyses approaches to the risks involved. Even a topic such as one involving a population of e-mail users, which should be ideal for research using the Internet, presents difficulties of sampling and self-selection that are difficult to overcome.