Benefits of using online qualitative research for academics

Advances in Internet technology have opened up a new realm of possibilities for conducting research in online environments. Academic researchers now have the possibility to access a multitude of journal articles online, to utilise reference management tools and online content generators, and to collaborate with other researchers worldwide in online forums and portals. The Internet has also become a research tool for conducting online questionnaires, online focus groups and real-time interviews (O’Connor and Madge, 2000).

Conducting qualitative research online holds numerous benefits for academics and other researchers. Those benefits include: reducing costs, both in terms of room hire, covering travel costs for participants, and transcription fees; the ability to talk to a larger group of participants but still obtain quality, in-depth data; and reducing the time needed for both conducting the research and transcribing the data afterwards. The benefits in terms of reducing time and cost are undoubtedly important in an environment in which there are ever increasing requirements to show public value from public funds.

However, maybe even more importantly for those involved in qualitative research, is the potential to reach a wide public. In 2013, the Office for National Statistics released their survey results detailing that 83% of British households have Internet access. Conducting qualitative research online has the potential to allow researchers to engage with a diverse group of people, including those who may traditionally have been defined as hard to reach, such as young people, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and those with health problems. Online focus groups also have the advantage of enabling those participants who would be reluctant to speak in a group setting (or, who would never consider joining a traditional focus group in the first place) to join a dialogue and participate in research.

This could be particularly important for those working in health research, public policy, social policy, and social care. These types of disciplines benefit from encouraging and enabling a wider public to engage with current topics and issues, which in turn have the potential to influence strategy and policy in these areas.

Sources:

O’Connor, H. and Madge, C. (2000) ‘Cyber-parents and Cyber-research: Exploring the Internet as a medium for research’ (University of Leicester: Centre for Labour Market Studies).

Office for National Statistics (2013) ‘Internet Access – Households and Individuals, 2013’