Conducting Online Research Research Articles

8679 Case: The Sexual, Physical and Psychological Effects of Post-Finasteride Syndrome

Abstract Disclosure: E.M. Lonergan: None. S.M. Maher: None. I. Yaseen: None. D.B. O'Shea: None. Post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) is an increasingly recognised disorder with a myriad of physical and neuropsychiatric symptoms persisting for greater than three months in a small proportion of patients treated with Finasteride. We present the case of a 45-year-old male who was taking oral Finasteride for hair loss. He first presented to endocrinology services having stopped Finasteride after twenty years reporting new onset reduced libido, penile shrinkage, fatigue, new food intolerances and agitated depression which was the predominant symptom in this case. He described the emergence of gynaecomastia, which was evident on examination, as well as muscle atrophy. Biochemistry was unremarkable including testosterone 24.6 nmol/L (8.6-29.0), oestradiol 100 pmol/L (50 – 159), LH 7.1 IU/L (1.7-8.6), FSH 16.8 IU/L (1.5-12.4), urinary free cortisol 177 nmol/24h (12-486) and urinary steroid profile. The patient was offered a trial of IM testosterone for 3 months followed by a course of hCG which he declined after discussing with patients online via a PFS patient forum citing anecdotal pseudo immune downregulation in this cohort. GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy was considered as a second-line treatment option. The patient expressed a preference for hydrocortisone treatment after conducting online research which has not been commenced due to a lack of evidence. The inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase in Finasteride-treated patients has been documented to cause reversible sexual dysfunction. However, with increasing case reports of PFS, it was included in the list of Rare and Genetic Diseases of the NIH in 2015. The syndrome encompasses symptoms and signs seen in our case, as well as erectile dysfunction, decreased ejaculatory volume, infertility, Peyronie’s disease, testicular pain, dry skin, memory problems and insomnia. Suicidal ideation was included in the product label as per FDA mandate in 2022. The literature is largely inconclusive regarding the underlying aetiology, duration, and severity of the disorder. A large retrospective study revealed 0.8% of patients developed sexual dysfunction with persistence in 33% of these cases after drug suspension, the main independent risk factor being drug treatment for longer than 7 months. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are likely related to the presence of 5-alpha-reductase isoforms in the brain with resulting alterations in CSF and plasma neuroactive steroid levels and metabolites. Evidence-based treatment options for PFS are limited. PFS is a rare but debilitating syndrome to which a subset of patients appears to be predisposed, but of which the pathophysiology is poorly understood. Further studies in this regard, as well as an exploration of effective treatment options are required. Presentation: 6/1/2024

Master Turkers: An assessment of data quality

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk has greatly increased in popularity in recent years considering recent world events as well as due to the increased acceptance of technology in the field of research. Because of this, it is essential that the research methods associated with conducting research online be evaluated. The present study evaluated if Amazon’s upper echelon of workers, Master Turkers, provide a higher quality of data relative to workers without that designation. This was evaluated using two scales that are validated and have been extensively used in research. The results showed that Master Turkers were found to have worse performance on scales (lower reliability) compared to non-Master Turkers. This data highlights an issue that potential researchers should be aware of when using the Mechanical Turk, as well as problem that should be addressed by Amazon.

Ethical guidance for conducting health research with online communities: A scoping review of existing guidance.

Online research methods have grown in popularity due in part to the globalised and far-reaching nature of the internet but also linked to the Covid-19 pandemic whereby restrictions to travel and face to face contact necessitated a shift in methods of research recruitment and data collection. Ethical guidance exists to support researchers in conducting online research, however this is lacking within health fields. This scoping review aims to synthesise formal ethical guidance for applying online methods within health research as well as provide examples of where guidance has been used. A systematic search of literature was conducted, restricted to English language records between 2013 and 2022. Eligibility focused on whether the records were providing ethical guidance or recommendations, were situated or relevant to health disciplines, and involved the use or discussion of online research methods. Following exclusion of ineligible records and duplicate removal, three organisational ethical guidance and 24 research papers were charted and thematically analysed. Four key themes were identified within the guidance documents, 1) consent, 2) confidentiality and privacy, 3) protecting participants from harm and 4) protecting researchers from harm with the research papers describing additional context and understanding around these issues. The review identified that there are currently no specific guidelines aimed at health researchers, with the most cited guidance coming from broader methodological perspectives and disciplines or auxiliary fields. All guidance discussed each of the four key themes within the wider context of sensitive topics and vulnerable populations, areas and issues which are often prominent within health research thus highlighting the need for unifying guidance specific for health researchers. Further research should aim to understand better how online health studies apply ethical principles, to support in informing gaps across both research and guidance.

Ethical considerations in a pan-European project targeting adolescent cybercrime prevention

The growing importance of researching online activities, such as cyber-deviance and cyber-crime, as well as the use of online tools (e.g. questionnaires, games, and other interactive tools) has created new ethical and legal challenges for researchers, which can be even more complicated when researching adolescents. In this article, we highlight the risks emerging from the current European legal and ethical landscape when researching potentially vulnerable groups, with a special focus on online research. It is not always clear how to differentiate research ethics consent from consent for data processing activities: when can an adolescent independently consent to research, or when is parental consent needed? Additional problems emerge when parents do not consent to research activities, but their adolescent children do. A serious ethical challenge can arise when the parents do not communicate with researchers, but the adolescent wishes to participate, especially when weak parental oversight is coupled with research on sensitive topics. We offer some guidance on what to keep in mind when conducting online research with adolescents and highlight possible ways that these issues can be dealt with in pan-European projects.

Who can you trust these days?: Dealing with imposter participants during online recruitment and data collection

The use of digital technologies in qualitative research has been found to increase access and participation by minimizing geographical, scheduling, and financial barriers. However, discussions among the qualitative research community about the challenges of conducting research online and, specifically, what steps can be taken to mitigate “imposter participants” remain limited. Anchored in a critical disability studies perspective, in this field note paper, we discuss lessons learned in conducting online qualitative research and preserving data trustworthiness.

INVESTIGATING THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF ONLINE RESEARCH IN UKRAINE TODAY

The article aims to analyze the issue of administering and performing online research, determine its pros and cons and establish the factors impacting it and its necessity. It is built on a methodo-logical approach that uses online data and online research methods, which includes a review of open-access articles, whose analysis is provided in the literature review part, as well as the results of the author’s online research.The data presented suggests that wider access to the Internet is becoming more common, and its importance is increasing. Research is more and more using this environment for investigating various issues. Ukraine is experiencing a rise in the relevance of online research due to the re-strictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and martial law.The author of the article initiated the online discussion to ascertain the opinion of Ukrainian re-searchers and academicians about the possibility of conducting online research, its benefits and drawbacks, the accuracy of the results obtained and the appropriateness of the Internet as a tool for scientific investigation. The target audience comprises researchers from the National Academy of Educational Sciences (NAES) of Ukraine and university teachers, aged between 25 to 65 and over, with differing academic degrees and research experience.

Methodological reflections on conducting online research with people with dementia: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Conducting qualitative research with people with dementia (PwD) is inherently challenging due to their fluctuating mental capacity and symptom of forgetfulness. These challenges were compounded during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic when social distancing and lock down were enforced. This article critically discusses the researchers’ experiences on conducting online research with PwD on a sensitive topic based on an empirical study that aimed to explore the changing needs of PwD and how that affects their expectations of future. The focus is on: i) moving qualitative research to an online space, ii) the impact of joining online research on participants and iii) the impact on researcher (s). Participants were recruited via the Join Dementia Research platform. Narrative online interviews were conducted with 13 PwD and 4 dyads of PwD and carers.Moving to online interviews removed geographical barriers from researcher and participants thus making the study more accessible. The virtual elements of online interviews created a unique interaction since the researcher was simultaneously co-occupying the space virtually but not physically with participants. Disadvantages included internet connection instability and flexible informed consent procedures were required.The primary researcher's expressed identities positioned him variously as an ‘in-betweener’ which challenged the dualistic concept of researcher insiderness-outsiderness. PwD's familiar environment -their homes-appeared to enable them to take more control in the interview and potentially reduced their forgetfulness. The impact on researchers involved vicarious trauma that occurred during and after the interviews; the distress protocol was revised to include supports for the interviewer.

How Critical is Critical Enough: Forefronting Critical Consciousness When Engaging in Critical Online Reasoning and Evaluation (CORE)

AbstractEffectively learning to evaluate sources, especially when conducting online research, is an essential skill for middle‐grade students. This article argues that supporting students in learning to evaluate sources must involve using critical consciousness skills to do so, or the evaluation is incomplete. In the article, the authors expand the critical online reasoning and evaluation (CORE) framework to support students in learning to read in a critically conscious way. Critical consciousness is a key means for students to use in learning and solidifying critical literacy skills, and this focus is essential if we are to support students in learning to “read the word and the world.”

Netnography and volunteer tourism: Critical reflections on conducting online research during a global pandemic

COVID-19 curtailed a significant amount of research in the field, forcing social scientists to consider the future of fieldwork. Netnography seems to offer a covid-resistant alternative to traditional fieldwork methods. This paper expands knowledge of the netnographic approach, focusing on a study of spirituality in international volunteer tourists' experiences. It explores the potential of netnography as a research tool within the context of ongoing concerns around the viability and sustainability of physically travelling to collect data. As such, this paper presents a critical, reflective analysis of the main author's experience in conducting netnographic research during the pandemic, presenting the challenges and limitations, as well as the benefits of the method.

Defining e-research in social work: a review of strategies and challenges

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted social work researchers for whom fieldwork is the crux of data collection. Resilient as humankind is, researchers must innovate to look at society and communities digitally. This review paper explores e-research as an option for social researchers. It summarises and synthesizes existing literature on digital research in social work. What is e-research? What is the position of the researcher in this context? What are some of the strategies and challenges in conducting research online? The paper throws light on these questions. This review article reveals the methods that can be adapted to merge technology with research in the social work domain. It also lays out the challenges of e-research. We propose a synthesized definition of e-research in social work and conclude that there is tremendous value in using technology and doing research online if done ethically.

Interior Design Planning for Chili Edu-Tourism, Kemutug, Central Java

Indonesia has been known by the world for its natural wealth, besides that Indonesia is also known as an agricultural country that take advantages of agriculture. In the Kemutug area, the area is a tourist spot that is well known to the public in the field of tourism and is also known as a final destination by the local community. Kemutug is famous for its natural beauty and natural tourist attractions, but besides being famous for its natural beauty, the area is also known for producing chilies which are quite good. To develop and improve the tourism sector in the Kemutug area as well as to educate tourists and the community around the types of chili peppers which of course may not be known by people around. This design is our effort in preserving plants that can be utilized by the community, this relates to the benefits that we can spread to the community to appreciate more plants and natural ecosystems in the Kemutug area. Also, this design project is the right place for tourism and education activities that are expected to become new tourism in the Kemutug area, in addition to observing studies on chili education based on exhibition layout, interactive tourism facility layout, several types of facilities. other general activities, and proper ergonomics studies to support these activities. This research was conducted with online surveys and interviews as well as conducting online research. The respondents needed are respondents who come from Kemutug and several people who have vacationed in the Kemutug area.

From Lab-Testing to Web-Testing in Cognitive Research: Who You Test is More Important than how You Test.

The transition to web-testing, although promising, entails many new concerns. Web-testing is harder to monitor, so researchers need to ensure that the quality of the data collected is comparable to the quality of data typically achieved by lab-testing. Our study yields a novel contribution to this issue, by being the first to distinguish between the impact of web-testing and the impact of sourcing individuals from different participant pools, including crowdsourcing platforms. We presented a fairly general working memory task to 196 MTurk participants, 300 Prolific participants, and 255 students from the University of Geneva, allowing for a comparison of data quality across different participant pools. Among university students, 215 were web-tested, and 40 were lab-tested, allowing for a comparison of testing modalities within the same participant pool. Data quality was measured by assessing multiple data characteristics (i.e., reaction time, accuracy, anomalous values) and the presence of two behavioral benchmark effects. Our results revealed that who you test (i.e., participant pool) is more important than how you test (i.e., testing modality). Concerning how you test, our results showed that web-testing incurs a small, yet acceptable loss of data quality compared to lab-testing. Concerning who you test, Prolific participants were almost indistinguishable from web-tested students, but MTurk participants differed drastically from the other pools. Our results therefore encourage the use of web-testing in the domain of cognitive psychology, even when using complex paradigms. Nevertheless, these results urge for caution regarding how researchers select web-based participant pools when conducting online research.

Think piece: ethics for the virtual researcher

ABSTRACT In ethics, there are profound distinctions between conducting research online and traditional face-to-face research methods. Some of the differences often appear overwhelming for individuals in the early stages of their research career due to the introduction of new technical terminology related to the online environment. Whilst ethics in the virtual world is complex due to complete confidentiality and anonymity becoming increasingly out of reach, there are ways to mitigate against these new challenges. When applying for ethical approval, I argue that students should consider how their online research challenges ethical norms for obtaining informed consent, determine what is public and private data, and define confidentiality and anonymity in the virtual world. The author is a former PhD candidate, and some of the themes discussed in this think-piece presented themselves in the data collection of online surveys. Furthermore, the author has sometimes observed an absence of thought to online ethics from dissertation students when applying online methodologies. Thus, this piece attempts to stimulate thinking in this area and is aimed at individuals involved in the submission of ethics for dissertation projects.

An Ensemble-Based Hotel Reviews System Using Naive Bayes Classifier

The task of classifying opinions conveyed in any form of text online is referred to as sentiment analysis. The emergence of social media usage and its spread has given room for sentiment analysis in our daily lives. Social media applications and websites have become the foremost spring of data recycled for reviews for sentimentality in various fields. Various subject matter can be encountered on social media platforms, such as movie product reviews, consumer opinions, and testimonies, among others, which can be used for sentiment analysis. The rapid uncovering of these web contents contains divergence of many benefits like profit-making, which is one of the most vital of them all. According to a recent study, 81% of consumers conduct online research prior to making a purchase. But the reviews available online are too huge and numerous for human brains to process and analyze. Hence, machine learning classifiers are one of the prominent tools used to classify sentiment in order to get valuable information for use in companies like hotels, game companies, and so on. Understanding the sentiments of people towards different commodities helps to improve the services for contextual promotions, referral systems, and market research. Therefore, this study proposes a sentiment-based framework detection to enable the rapid uncovering of opinionated contents of hotel reviews. A Naive Bayes classifier was used to process and analyze the dataset for the detection of the polarity of the words. The dataset from Datafiniti’s Business Database obtained from Kaggle was used for the experiments in this study. The performance evaluation of the model shows a test accuracy of 96.08%, an F1-score of 96.00%, a precision of 96.00%, and a recall of 96.00%. The results were compared with state-of-the-art classifiers and showed a promising performance and much better in terms of performance metrics.

Looking back on Online data Collection Through Mindful Reflection

Reflections emerging from what was learned from conducting online research by using an online survey administered to primary school pupils during the Covid-19 pandemic are presented in this paper. First, a brief review of relevant literature is outlined. Secondly, the advantages and limitations of conducting online research are addressed. An overview of the research process employed including the sample, measures used and procedures employed for ethics clearance are how online research was made possible during a pandemic was explored. The main challenges were: (a) parental engagement and the subsequent collection of consent forms; (b) the actual data acquisition itself. These issues and others are explored through a reflection process using the cycle outlined by Gibbs (1988). The paper also points out how the reflective process was applied throughout the project. The study is focused on how pupils aged between 9 – 11 years perceived their own creative self-concept and their wellbeing at school. In this quantitative study, five hundred and thirty pupils were recruited through their schools following the dissemination of information letters and consent forms. While various advantages emerged from conducting online research, this approach was not without problems. Finally, this study presented an opportunity for learning and growth for the author through a process of reflection and evaluation.

Implications for Distance Learning: Does Demographics Impact Students' Self-Perceived Proficiency in Information Technology?

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of demographics on students’ self-perceived proficiency in information technology and its implication for distance learning. Data for this study were collected from students in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Even though research suggests that demographics have an impact on users of information technology, this study, however, reveals no statistically significant relationship exists between demographics and students’ self-perceived proficiency in information technology. The study however shows that most rated themselves as proficient in using spreadsheets, PowerPoint, conducting online research, using chat/thread discussions, and word processing while most students described themselves as below proficient in computer programming and Webpage design. This study also highlights the implications of the findings to distance learning.

Collecting data online from young students during a pandemic. Reflections.

As researchers we need to be able to reflect deeply to constantly improve the research processes. Reflection can help researchers to engage critically and objectively with the worldview while acknowledging what works and what doesn’t. This paper focuses on reflections emerging from online data collection during a pandemic.
 This paper presents what was learned from conducting online research by collecting data through an online survey administered to school children during the Covid-19 pandemic. Following a brief review of relevant literature, the research process employed is outlined. This includes the sample, measures used and ethics clearance. Secondly, we explore the advantages and limitations of conducting online research. In particular we explore the issues that were encountered and how online research made data collection from a school possible during a pandemic. The main stumbling blocks were related to: (a) parental engagement and the subsequent collection of consent forms; (b) issues that emerged during the actual data collection. These issues and others are explored through a reflection process using cycle outlined by Gibbs (1988).
 The aim of the study was to explore how students aged between 9 – 11 years perceived their own creative self-concept and their wellbeing at school. In this quantitative study, 530 students coming from different schools were surveyed using an online platform. Participants were recruited through their respective schools following the dissemination of information letters and consent forms. While various advantages emerged from conducting online research, a number of challenges were encountered throughout the process. This data collection exercise presented an opportunity for learning and growth through a process of reflection and evaluation. 
 

IMPROVING THE WEBSITE AS THE MAIN TOOL OF E-BUSINESS

The article defines the essence of e-business, identifies the main forms of trade transactions via the Internet. It is noted that e-business is directly related to information and communication technologies, focused on achieving a specific goal of the business entity, through information technology, and is a specific system. The main types and characteristics of websites as the main tool of e-business are identified: business card site, company website with product catalog, online stores, news search portals, information portals, web-sites of goods accounting, accounting. The main opportunities for using the website to run a business, which allows the company to create and deploy information resources of the organization, accelerate user access to information at any time, conduct advertising campaigns, integrate information resources with resources of suppliers, business partners and global information resources. We analyzed U.S. statistics that prove the value of a website, and say that 85% of people in the world conduct online research on a product or service before reviewing or buying it, and trust online reviews as well as personal recommendations, when As a result, businesses can lose 22% to 70% of potential customers, when placing negative articles on the first pages of search, and before deciding to work with the client, more than half of Americans searched for information on Google. Based on statistics, the most effective methods of improving the website were identified: measuring the effectiveness of the company’s website, improving visibility through search engine optimization, investing in search marketing, improving digital strategy, creating an online plan and personalization.

Using online spaces to recruit Kenyan queer womxn and trans men in restrictive offline settings

BackgroundUnderstanding and addressing healthcare and service delivery inequalities is essential to increase equity and overcome health disparities and service access discrimination. While tremendous progress has been made towards the inclusion of sexual and gender minorities in health and other research, gaps still exist. Innovative methods are needed to close these. This case study describes and reflects on using online-based data collection to ascertain sexual health decision-making and health service utilisation among Kenyan queer womxn and trans men.MethodsCase studyThe study used a mixed-methods approach in two phases with triangulated quantitative and qualitative elements. Both elements used web-based technology to gather data.ResultsUsing online spaces to recruit and collect data from queer womxn and trans men exceeded expectations. A total of 360 queer womxn and trans men responded to the digitally distributed survey, and 33 people, queer womxn and trans men, as well as key informants, participated in the interviews, which were primarily conducted on Zoom and Skype. The case study analyses the risks and benefits of this approach and concludes that online sampling approaches can mitigate risks and enable effective and safe sampling of a marginalised group in a restrictive legal setting: Kenyan queer womxn and trans men.ConclusionUsing online spaces when researching marginalised populations could effectively overcome risks around stigma, discrimination and violence. It could be an effective way to understand these populations’ healthcare needs better. Factors contributing to success included building trusting relationships with key members of the community, strategic and opportune timing, a nuanced understanding of the mobile landscape, and carefully chosen safety and security measures. However, it should be noted that conducting research online could increase the risk of further marginalising and excluding those without access to web-based technology.

The Feasibility and Challenges of Conducting Online Research to Examine Movement Behavior in Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 shifted the methodology of this research project. The purpose of this perspective article is to discuss the feasibility and challenges of converting an in-person mixed methods study that examined associations among and beliefs about physical activity, motor competence, and perceived competence to an online format with parents and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment was conducted through a University research registry, social media, and public listservs. All correspondence with participants was through email and secure platforms. Physical activity was assessed with accelerometers mailed to participants. Motor competence was assessed through participant-filmed trials of motor skills. Perceived competence was assessed with the Self-Perception Profile for Adults and Children delivered on Qualtrics. Semi- structured interviews to examine beliefs were conducted over Zoom. Approximately 200 families expressed interest in the study, 76 parent-child dyads consented and assented, and 61 parent-child dyads completed at least one component of the study. It is feasible to conduct online research that contributes to scientific knowledge and has potential advantages. However, various challenges need to be considered regarding the application of online research. These challenges included recruitment, the data collection process, and data quality. Future research needs to address these challenges by utilizing wide-reaching and diverse recruitment methods, easing participants' burden with technology, and developing motor competence and perceived competence assessments that can be administered online. The way research was conducted changed due to COVID-19 and adapting to and/or integrating online methods is both necessary and feasible, but modifications must be taken into consideration.