Conducting Online Research Research Articles

Dyslexia and Foreign Language Learning

This study investigates the concept of dyslexia, the nature of problems and challenges that dyslexic student encounter during their studies, possible opportunities and the strategies how to support dyslexic language learners. Through conducting online research and review, it has been revealed that dyslexia is not a stigma nor a severe illness, though it was believed so, but it disclosed how one’s brain can work differently and creatively than others’. Educators and parents have important roles in helping and supporting dyslexic students. Teachers should keep in mind that their helpful encouragement of dyslexic students in their learning process can support them in managing their study and learning habits

Writing Techniques of Top-Performing High School Students Using Online Information Sources

This study investigates the regional and local writing techniques students employ while accessing online sources for their essays. The following two methods for global writing were discovered through the analysis of screenshots, think-aloud exercises, and interviews: 1) The students created papers for mediating planning; they divided their time between conducting online research and developing planning papers for mediating; they then had to write and modify a text. 2) The pupils alternated between conducting research, writing, and editing their papers utilizing just the sources that were made available to them. They either did not write any intermediate pieces or only a very few. Each global strategy was divided into several additional supporting strategies (e.g., search using a combination of content and rhetorical keywords; take hard copy notes; draft a text out of the sequence in which it appears in the final text; use automatic spelling and grammar checkers to guide review). A few of these methods are utilized in writing based on printed materials in a way that is fairly comparable to how other techniques are used. On the other hand, having access to the Internet encouraged the creation of novel techniques for both writing and research. We contend that authors created task settings and used techniques that minimized Internet limitations, electronic writing mediums, and their internal cognition. This is achieved by utilizing the potential offered by the Internet, electronic writing platforms, and their internal intellect. The more conventional ways of writing cognitive research as well as the more contemporary forms of writing cognitive research from sources are both expanded by this study.

Internet or Archive? Expertise in Searching for Digital Sources on a Contentious Historical Question

This study explored expertise in searching for online information on a contentious historical and political question. Fact checkers, historians, and college students thought aloud while conducting online research on the question, “Did Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, support euthanasia?” Analyses of screen recordings and think-aloud transcripts revealed that students clicked on sites near the top of search results and privileged evidence from primary sources. In contrast, historians and fact checkers used the search results as a source to help them understand the political context in which their query had landed them and to select reliable sources. Additionally, they searched for evidence from authoritative secondary sources. Implications for teaching online research and historical inquiry are explored.

Ways to Develop Employability Skills in Teaching Translation to Final-Year Students

This paper considers methodology and pedagogical approaches used in higher education in the United Kingdom and Russia in developing transferable employability skills when teaching final-year undergraduates. The paper analyses outcomes of introducing innovative approaches to teaching translation at the University of Bristol and at Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU).The MSU approach is aimed at the development of self-motivation, continual learning, ability to influence others through effective communication while at the same time developing students’ discipline-related skills in the field of translation studies.The innovation introduced at the University of Bristol involves a move from traditional classroom-based delivery of a final-year undergraduate translation module to a blended e-learning approach, thus addressing organisational needs (developing an effective mechanism of peer assessment in large translation classes) while achieving a higher quality of work and developing valuable employability skills.The primary objective is to show the students that they can improve their translation and analytical skills through conducting research online and by interacting with the other members of the group using a virtual learning environment. Recent results confirm that both approaches proved to be extremely beneficial. The students developed a better awareness of what is expected of them in assessed assignments. They enhanced their discipline-related skills in the field of translation studies. Their communication skills, ability to provide constructive feedback and analyse their own and other students’ work have also significantly improved. This contributed to the development of transferable employability skills including working as part of a team, critical thinking, communicating and influencing, problem solving, decision making and time management.

First Steps for Conducting Online Research with Adolescents: Basic Considerations for Implementation Success

Online delivery of mental health resources and interventions has many benefits, including scalability. This may be particularly relevant when in-person services are limited and researchers need to transition their work to online platforms. This report aims to describe the challenges experienced in a pilot study of an online program (Teen Wellness [TW]) for adolescents and outline first step considerations for conducting online research with adolescents. A total of 16 participants (Mage = 13.125; 43.8% female) in an after-school program engaged with TW. The usefulness was rated 7.62 out of 10 and 68.8% of participants completed all modules. Significant changes in the adolescents’ satisfaction with “self” (p = 0.035) and “friendships” (p = 0.035) were observed. The pilot study informs researchers doing their first steps in online research with adolescents. Basic considerations are related to determining the desired level of human support and setting, the consent-assent process, designing or utilizing an existing online resource, utilizing agile design, and including adolescent feedback.

Looking at the 'field' through a Zoom lens: Methodological reflections on conducting online research during a global pandemic.

For many social science scholars, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to re-think our approaches to research. As a result of new social distancing measures, those of us who conduct in-person qualitative and ethnographic research have faced significant challenges in accessing the populations and fields we study. Technology served as an incredibly useful tool for social interaction and research prior to the pandemic, and it has since become even more important as a way to engage with others. Although not all types of social research, or even all projects, lend themselves to online activities, digital communication platforms like Zoom, Skype, and Facebook have allowed many of us to continue our studies from a distance—in some cases, significant temporal and spatial distances away from our research sites. As such, it is important to consider how these different methodological approaches challenge our understandings of fieldwork. While the disadvantages of not physically accessing the places we study are clear, can mediated approaches offer (any) hope of the immersion we experienced with in-person fieldwork? If many of us are able to continue ethnographic research (in some form) without co-locating with our participants in our field sites, how are our studies fundamentally affected, as well as the ways we conceptualize the ‘field’ more largely? This paper explores these methodological and epistemological questions through reflections on conducting online research during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Common Pitfalls in using Online Platforms for Data collection in COVID times and its implications.

In recent COVID-19 times conducting online research is the only feasible type of research for many authors. However, like other methods of data collection this method also bears some inherent issues linked to method of the study. The authors must understand the common pitfalls related to online data collection before planning and before interpreting the results. This letter mainly deals with the issues related to the online data collection.

Green Netnographic Marketing Strategy for Eliminating Contact Research Practices in Nigerian Universities: A Post-Corona Virus Paradox

Corona virus has halted activities in several countries. The effect of this virus has led to the shutting down of not just the economy but also academic activities in Nigeria. There are worries on the minds of policy makers in education, marketing and the general society on how academic and marketing activities such as conferences, seminars, information and researches can be done without endangering the lives of participants by gathering them in a place amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, a friendly way of conducting research without physical contact with participants has suffix in virtual reality known as green netnographic marketing. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to determine the green netnographic marketing strategies for eliminating contact research practices in Nigerian Universities in a Post-COVID-19 era. Two research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a survey research design. 472 made up of Marketing Managers, Lecturers, and students of an online community in both public and private universities in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire and focus group discussion guide were used as instruments for data collection. The instruments were structured on a four-point scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD) with values of 4, 3, 2, and 1 respectively. The instruments were validated by seven experts. Cronbach alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instruments. The analysis yielded an overall reliability index of 0.89 indicating that the instruments were highly reliable. The data collected for the study were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics. The study found 18 ethical and 14 staff training strategies in green netnographic marketing for eliminating contact research practices in Nigerian Universities in a Post-COVID-19 era. Based on the findings, recommendations were made which includes amongst other that marketing researchers should strictly adhere to green netnographic ethical considerations when conducting online research.

QueerVIEW: Protocol for a Technology-Mediated Qualitative Photo Elicitation Study With Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Ontario, Canada.

BackgroundThe experiences of resilience and intersectionality in the lives of contemporary sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) are important to explore. SGMY face unique experiences of discrimination in both online and offline environments, yet simultaneously build community and seek support in innovative ways. SGMY who identify as transgender, trans, or gender nonconforming and have experiences with child welfare, homelessness, or immigration have been particularly understudied. A qualitative exploration that leverages technology may derive new understanding of the negotiations of risk, resilience, and identity intersections that impact the well-being of vulnerable SGMY.ObjectiveThe objectives of the QueerVIEW study were to (1) enhance understanding of SGMY identities, both online and offline, (2) identify experiences of intersectionality among culturally, regionally, and racially diverse SGMY in Ontario, Canada, (3) explore online and offline sources of resilience for SGMY, and (4) develop and apply a virtual photo elicitation methodological approach.MethodsThis is the first study to pilot a completely virtual approach to a photo elicitation investigation with youth, including data collection, recruitment, interviewing, and analysis. Recruited through social media, SGMY completed a brief screening survey, submitted 10 to 15 digital photos, and then participated in an individual semistructured interview that focused on their photos and related life experiences. Online data collection methods were employed through encrypted online file transfer and secure online interviews. Data is being analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach, with six coders participating in structured online meetings that triangulated photo, video, and textual data.ResultsData collection with 30 participants has been completed and analyses are underway. SGMY expressed appreciation for the photo elicitation and online design of the study and many reported experiencing an emotional catharsis from participating in this process. It is anticipated that results will form a model of how participants work toward integrating their online and offline experiences and identities into developing a sense of themselves as resilient.ConclusionsThis protocol presents an innovative, technology-enabled qualitative study that completely digitized a popular arts-based methodology—photo elicitation—that has potential utility for contemporary research with marginalized populations. The research design and triangulated analyses can generate more nuanced conceptualizations of SGMY identities and resilience than more traditional approaches. Considerations for conducting online research may be useful for other qualitative research.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/20547

Anthropological intersections between new reproductive technologies and new digital technologies

The digital turn in anthropology and ethnography is not a sudden rupture to the field’s epistemological quest. In recent years, after the visual turn and the evolution of Digital Humanities, there have been notable efforts to address the digital aspect of social reality by several anthropologists worldwide. However, the focus has been predominantly on the observation of internet cultures and communities, mainly tackling phenomena that ‘take place’ in the digital realm, and on the techniques and issues that arise from conducting online research with limited contributions to the theoretical ramifications of recent advancements on the technological front. We argue that the methodological repercussions of the discussion around digital ethnographic writing modalities has not yet been adequately addressed, which reflects a wider tendency of the anthropological lens to remain on the “observant” side of things and not partake in the active discussion and practices regarding knowledge production and representation. Drawing on the research project “Ethnography and/as hypertext fiction: representing surrogate motherhood” (HYFRESMO), currently implemented at the Anthropology Department of Panteion University and funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation & the General Secretariat for Research and Technology, the paper seeks to provide an example of the creative accommodation of digital media in the field of anthropology. In order to do so, it focuses on the intersections between the object of study (new reproductive technologies) and the writing tropes made available by new digital technologies. After conducting ‘traditional’ physical fieldwork on surrogate motherhood, and combining offline and online observation and communication with research interlocutors, our methodological proposition does not aspire to radicalize the work already implemented by fellow anthropologists in the direction of data gathering or performing participant observation in the digital/cyber-sphere; rather, in our endeavor to create a transmedia, non-text-oriented, fictional ethnographic account (during but mainly after) the fieldwork experience, we propose that digital ethnographic representation becomes a very privileged under-researched terrain upon which to experiment on the transformative potential of the digital turn in the humanities and creatively tie together the research topics and their representational potentials.

Googled justice: an examination of the citation of Internet sources in judicial opinions in Uganda

Search engines like Google have made it incredibly easy to access vast amounts of information with little effort. Many lawyers now prefer to go online for their legal research. Lawyers are citing online sources to establish legal and factual positions in their submission briefs to court and, in turn, judges are citing them in their opinions. Judges are also conducting online research to better understand the complexities of disputes before them. This paper examines the challenges arising from the citation of online sources in judicial opinions in Uganda. It argues that while there are significant benefits to relying on Internet sources, there are also challenges like inaccuracy of online information, excessive reliance on non-legal sources and inaccessibility of some online sources. It concludes with recommendations for best practices that can be adopted by the Ugandan courts in dealing with these limitations when citing online authorities.

Researching People who (Probably) Hate You: When Practicing “Good” Ethics Means Protecting Yourself

Abstract In the age of GamerGate and Cambridge Analytica, it is more important than ever that we find ways to conduct online research effectively and ethically. In this paper, we review the existing literature that explores the intersections between the identities of the researcher and the researched. We then discuss a central component to ethical practice in research and writing—our power to be affected and to affect others. We explore one research project on #GamerGate, finding that this research context raises key issues: first, that some groups are openly hostile to the very identity/ies of the researcher; second, that some groups are hostile towards researchers in general; and third, that sometimes ethnographic research might require the researcher to engage with ideological positions they find distasteful or even violent to their selves. We argue that the complex circumstances of online research must be considered when evaluating the ethical concerns of different studies, especially before judging researchers’ choices to, for instance, remain anonymous in an online community or not allow research participants the chance to comment on a researcher's work. Ultimately, we must continue to develop and teach an ethics of “do no harm”, both for the researcher and for the researched.

How Students’ Beliefs About Knowledge Matter in Multiple‐Source Reading Online: Implications for Classroom Instruction

AbstractThe authors explored the ways in which students drew on their individual theories of knowledge and knowing, or personal epistemologies, to identify and learn from multiple informational sources found on the internet. Analysis of students’ think‐aloud reports (during reading) and their written questions (after reading) indicated that students’ personal epistemologies came into play as they were accessing, evaluating, and using diverse sources, which was reflected in their critical questioning in multiple ways. These results have implications for rethinking classroom literacy tasks in which students are asked to conduct online research to explore multiple pathways to understanding, questioning, and learning. The authors provide suggestions and instructional tools to support the development and use of students’ beliefs about knowledge in complex, multisource literacy task environments.

Русскоязычная версия краткой шкалы гендерно-ролевых представлений (GRBS)

Objective. Translation, adaptation and psychometric verification of the 10-item Gender Role Beliefs Scale for Russian-speaking respondents. Background. A short version of GRBS was developed in 2012 by American psychologists M. Brown and N. Gladstone from New York University. The basis was the popular questionnaire of gender roles, de¬veloped in 1996. M. Brown and N. Gladstone reduced it to 10 items and tested it for reliability and validity. Study design. The study was conducted on the Internet based on self-selected Web surveys and subsequent sampling. Participants. The sample included 400 respondents (41% of men and 59% of women). Half of the respondents were middle-aged Russians, from 26 to 35 years old, 66% of the respondents had higher education. Measurements. For data processing, factor and descriptive analysis and suitability analysis of the scale (a Cronbach) were used. For statistical data processing, the IBM SPSS Statistics 22 program was used. Results. The results showed an identity of the factor structure with the original and sufficient consistency of the Russian version of the scale. The Russian version also showed a sufficient level of construct validity. Conclusions. A short scale of gender role beliefs can be used in the study of traditional ideology about the roles of men and women existing in modern society. The shortness of the scale allows to include it in a series of other questionnaires and conduct online research on large samples.

Cognitive Mechanisms in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients and Survivors: Feasibility and Preliminary Insights from the Cognitions and Affect in Cancer Resiliency Study.

This cross sectional pilot study assesses the feasibility of conducting online research into cognitive mechanisms in adolescent and young adult cancer populations. Twenty-one participants, aged 18-39 years, answered questionnaires about mental defeat, rumination, cancer worry, anxiety, and experience participating in such research. Seven participants scored in the clinical range for anxiety. Cancer-related worry was common. Rumination and mental defeat were positively associated with anxiety. The participants reported the length and type of questions to be appropriate and not distressing. Findings may inform future research into cognitive mechanisms, which could aid the development of psychosocial interventions for young cancer patients.

Survey-software implicit association tests: A methodological and empirical analysis.

The implicit association test (IAT) is widely used in psychology. Unfortunately, the IAT cannot be run within online surveys, requiring researchers who conduct online surveys to rely on third-party tools. We introduce a novel method for constructing IATs using online survey software (Qualtrics); we then empirically assess its validity. Study 1 (student n = 239) revealed good psychometric properties, expected IAT effects, and expected correlations with explicit measures for survey-software IATs. Study 2 (MTurk n = 818) showed predicted IAT effects across four survey-software IATs (ds = 0.82 [Black-White IAT] to 2.13 [insect-flower IAT]). Study 3 (MTurk n = 270) compared survey-software IATs and IATs run via Inquisit, yielding nearly identical results and intercorrelations that would be expected for identical IATs. Survey-software IATs appear to be reliable and valid, offer numerous advantages, and make IATs accessible for researchers who use survey software to conduct online research. We present all the materials, links to tutorials, and an open-source tool that rapidly automates survey-software IAT construction and analysis.

Hemingway in the Digital Age: Reflections on Teaching, Reading, and Understanding ed. by Laura Godfrey (review)

Reviewed by: Hemingway in the Digital Age: Reflections on Teaching, Reading, and Understanding ed. by Laura Godfrey Wayne Catan Laura Godfrey, ed. Hemingway in the Digital Age: Reflections on Teaching, Reading, and Understanding. Kent, OH: Kent State UP, 2019. 232 p. In this new Teaching Hemingway title, Laura Godfrey of North Idaho College selects essays from top Hemingway scholars who recommend best practices to teach Ernest Hemingway in the digital age. In "Virtual Papa," Lisa Tyler of Sinclair Community College discusses an artful way to conduct online research. First, she warns teachers that in the nascent stages of research students will, most likely, punch up facts that are already known, such as his fishing and hunting prowess, his family's mental health issues, and myriad plays, exhibits, and festivals that take place annually. Tyler points out that this information does not focus on the literary Hemingway. To get to know the literary Hemingway, she suggests several newspaper archives including the Kansas City Star and Toronto Star because both papers: "ransacked their archives and published online every article they could find that Hemingway wrote during his tenure at their organizations" (17). George Plimpton's 1958 The Paris Review interview and Lillian [End Page 213] Ross's 1950 New Yorker article are available online too, providing a glimpse into Hemingway as a writer and as a person. Additionally, Tyler recommends the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library website and The Michigan Hemingway Society site, where students can secure information about his fiction set in Michigan. Michael K. Steinberg and Jordan Cissell discuss their environmental literature class at the University of Alabama in "Beyond the Photographs." When students are asked to "describe the first image of Ernest Hemingway that comes to mind" (22) the answer is most often associated with a picture of Hemingway standing next to a large fish. Interestingly, their students use these photos for research. In fact, they measure the fish and compare them to the size of fish caught today. Students learn that fishing in the 1930s was much different than it is now. For instance, "The size and number of fish Hemingway caught are largely unheard of today in the same waters" (24), and billfish population has drastically declined. The authors do caution that "we cannot and should not suggest that students make quantitative statements about the declines in fish sizes and populations based on a limited number of photographs. However, the photographs can at least demonstrate what existed during Hemingway's Cuban years, illuminating their drastic decline in both size and number" (25). The essay also highlights that Hemingway was not simply a "meat" fisherman – someone who catches and kills large fish for entertainment; he was "cognizant of the pressure that both early sport and commercial fishing were having on certain species" (28). Hemingway was a founding member of the International Game Fish Association and collaborated with scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Because of his knowledge, experience, and love of fishing and the ocean, he was able to write realistically about it. Hemingway scholar Kirk Curnutt, English professor and chair at Troy University, writes about the benefits of using memes and photos as a teaching tool to enliven the classroom in "A Memeable Feast." Curnutt recommends pictures of Hemingway pointing his Tommy gun into the camera lens, and images of Hemingway fan tattoos, which display "how fans publicize their literary passions" (36). This – especially the photo with the Tommy gun – "help[s] break the ice in classrooms by humanizing the author's image" (35). The bottom line for Curnutt is that it is important to be engaging, so do what you have to do to connect with students. He believes the educational value [End Page 214] of Hemingway memes – especially the ones with quotations – are central to Hemingway studies because they demonstrate a basic trait of modernism, and that is they are "reinventing literary expression through experimentation … in other words [they] MAKE IT NEW" (41). Rebecca Johnston, co-vice president of the Florida Hemingway Society, discusses the benefits of using Google Maps and Google Earth to better understand the setting in Hemingway's works. Here's why: although he included autobiographical elements in his...

Features of online sociological studies of risks of financial behavior of the population in the information and communication network Internet

An overview of modern scientific concepts and accumulated scientific data for the development of digital sociology in terms of clarifying ideas about the features of the collection of primary sociological data has been presented. An importance of scientific understanding of the transformation of the content and specifics of the methodological tools of sociological research in the information and communication network Internet has been substantiated. The characteristic of the primary sociological information, contained in the Internet space and which is essential for the analysis of phenomena and processes in the course of conducting online research has been made. The classification has been substantiated, primary data groups have been distinguished according to the degree of openness, which include open, partially open and closed data. Separately, the characteristic of the obtained primary sociological data has been given by the method of technological access – analysis of blogs, the use of search engines for keywords, the inclusion of intelligent monitoring systems and analysis of social media, which are implemented either on stationary or mobile computer devices. The types of primary data on the format of communications have been adduced: advertising, network, vertically structured, horizontal, as well as the degree of reliability: “a sufficient level of reliability”, “doubtful information”, “unreliable information”. On the basis of the sociological research data, the features of collecting primary sociological information in the Internet space in the financial and economic sphere and identifying risks of the financial behavior of the population in the digital sphere have been shown. The qualitative and quantitative indicators of the use of Internet resources by young people for information, interaction, communication, training, business communication, entertainment and recreation, payment for goods and services have been presented. Conclusions about the need to take into account the specifics of the content and features of the study of primary sociological information in the digital space have been made.

Revisiting the Belmont Report\u2019s ethical principles in internet-mediated research: perspectives from disciplinary associations in the social sciences

The purpose of this article is to illuminate the conceptualisations and applications of the Belmont Report’s key ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice based on a document analysis of five of the most relevant disciplinary guidelines on internet research in the social sciences. These seminal documents are meant to provide discipline-specific guidance for research design and implementation and are regarded as key references when conducting research online. Our analysis revealed that the principles of respect and beneficence were explicitly conveyed in the documents analysed, offering nuanced interpretations on issues of informed consent, privacy, and benefits and risks as well as providing recommendations for modifying traditional practices to fit the online setting. However, the invocations of the principle of justice were rather implicit and reflect an important shift from the Belmont Report’s protectionist ethical position towards more situational and dialogic approaches. With the rapidly evolving nature of internet technologies, this analysis is projected to contribute to the ongoing developments in research ethics in the social sciences by outlining the tensions and implications of the use of the internet as a methodological tool. We also seek to provide recommendations on how disciplinary associations can proceed to facilitate ethically sensitive internet research.

Conducting ethical internet-based research with vulnerable populations: a qualitative study of bereaved participants’ experiences of online questionnaires

ABSTRACTBackground: Bereavement can be considered a potentially traumatic experience, and concerns have been raised about conducting grief research responsibly online.Objective: Given that online research introduces new methodological opportunities and challenges, we aimed to develop a greater understanding of how bereaved individuals experience participation in online research.Method: One day after participation in an online grief study, 876 participants, bereaved on average for 40 months, received a ‘check-in’ email to support well-being and offer further contact if needed. Although not explicitly asked to respond if no help was needed, 300 participants sent email replies, with only six requesting support. These responses were analysed qualitatively using content analysis.Results: Results suggested that participants found it acceptable to be asked about their grief and while difficult emotions were frequently described in response to the questionnaires, these reactions were temporary. A range of positive reactions was also reported, including new realizations arising from completing the research and changes in thinking related to grief. Participants also wrote about their appreciation for the study and how it was carried out, as well as a desire to contribute more to the study and to help others in a similar position.Conclusions: We suggest that the use of the check-in email to support well-being following study completion, along with advice on preparing to take part, contributed to positive experiences of participation and we recommend these strategies for future studies. These findings could allay clinical concerns about conducting online research with vulnerable populations, as well as raising questions about the possible therapeutic impact of measurement.