Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
assume that many countries will have some kind of privacy requirement in the
coming years, if they do not already have one. For example, in the UK, certain pri-
vacy matters are regulated by the governing body of the General Medical Council
and the Health and Social Care Act. So, before beginning a study that may bring
into question the management of personal data, it is a good practice to become
familiar with current privacy regulations and legislation. A suggested starting point
is discipline-specific literature.
Considering the literature
What is lacking in the growing body of literature on online research is a general
self-help book. There is limited written guidance on how to bring together the
technologies and the research methods. Researchers may be able to gain an
appreciation for the subtleties of the online environment and the ways in which
research questions need to be challenged, rethought and reshaped when
researching online phenomena. They can also gain an appreciation of the kinds
of challenges their methods will receive both in the research process and in
academic research discourse. But what is not readily available to the researcher
is how to actually conduct the research and apply the technologies. What tech-
nology should be used for conducting an interview? In what ways will digesting
features support or challenge the research effort? Is there anything that can be
done to guarantee the anonymity and security of a research participant in a chat
room being used to conduct a focus group? How should firewall issues be han-
dled? How to organize, manage, analyze and present data in online research?
These are all questions that remain unaddressed in the current body of literature.
In our highly rationalized society, what material is available is specialized.
You can find books and manuals that go into detail on specific topics such as
making graphs (
Charts & Graphs in Microsoft Office Excel
, 2007), or how to
use Internet Relay Chat (IRC) (
The Ultimate Guide to Internet Relay Chat
,
Charalabidis, 1999). The books, like our professions, are presented as the
experts on their respective topics. But what if you don't even know what tech-
nology you should use? Is it necessary to pick up every book on every different
type of technology to determine which technology is right for your research pur-
poses? We don't think so. We believe that there are times when the generalist is
helpful.
We suggest you think of this book as your generalist. It focuses on addressing
technical rather than methodological questions. It will provide technological
advisement for conducting online research. This book will supply a link between
various technologies and research methods, enabling the reader to embark on a
study and address questions and concerns of his/her own particular research
approach. Some of these topics, will be covered several times, with a differing
emphasis on administrative, technological and potential ethical challenges.