Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
whether the channel is private or public, whether it is moderated, and whether
an invitation to join is required. However, you are only the operator while you
remain on the channel. Some networks allow channel registration so that you
can keep control of the channel, but not all do.
Running a chat room
Online chat rooms are convenient for conducting “private” interviews and
focus groups. They are also a good environment for observing behavior. Chat
rooms can be set up on existing IRC servers, or it is possible to install IRC
server software on a private server. The best known IRC server software is
IRCd which can be downloaded for free from http://www.ircd-hybrid.org/ and
installed on Unix/Linux or Windows.
There are a number of issues that should be considered prior to selecting a
chat room for purposes of conducting research. Are participants in work envi-
ronments when they participate? Will their participation in a work environment
impede their participation? Some corporations have firewalls that protect their
systems and also restrict certain activities. In addition, participants might be con-
strained by what they will and will not discuss when using an office computer on
a company network. In some cases, to conduct a chat room session participants
need to download a particular client. Some companies will not allow the instal-
lation of applications other than those approved by the company.
While using a chat room can be quick, inexpensive and effective, it can also
raise issues for researchers. One significant issue is whether or not the
researcher is prepared to serve as technical support. Some systems seem self-
evident and easily managed, but not every participant is going to have the same
level of sophistication with technology. Some will have issues with their net-
work connection; others will have issues with installation and set-up; some
might have difficulty functioning during a chat session. All of the preceding
issues require technical assistance. A researcher may feel comfortable using a
technology for research, but may not feel competent enough to serve as tech-
nical support. In addition, providing technical support during a chat session
can serve as a distraction, preventing a researcher from focusing on data col-
lection. Therefore, participants either need to be comfortable with the tech-
nology, the researcher needs to be prepared to lose some focus while assisting
a participant with a technical problem, and/or there may need to be a techni-
cal assistant standing by to assist participants (see Gaiser, 2008).
When using any messaging protocol for research purposes, keep in mind
that the actual chat is not the only data available to you. Away messages, for
example, can provide a great deal of data (Jacobs, 1999). User profiles also offer
data that can be informative and useful for research purposes. Finally, profiles
can also provide helpful information for people in the study (ibid.), supplying a
context and information about the research.
