In the world that we live and study in, it is undoubtedly true that the internet is the supreme source of information of all types. It can be used as a source of learning about experiences, theories, research and much more and one potential result of this is that it is theoretically very possible to use the Internet as a source of data – in particular, as a source of qualitative data.
The Internet seems to many to be the perfect place to relay experiences, opinions and thoughts on any issue and as such, it is easy to see how it may hold much appeal as a tool for any qualitative researcher. That said, is the internet a safe, reliable source of data or does it have the potential to cause more problems than it is worth?
Although internet communities may prove to be rich sources for qualitative data, there are some major concerns when data is collected in this way. The first of which that I will discuss is informed consent. For your data to be used in an experiment, it is always necessary that you give informed consent, something that is more likely than not, not possible when data is to be collected from the internet unless the data is personally taken by the experimenter. If the data is taken from a forum or chat room or some other public domain, it is very possible that this consent will not be present and in many cases, people may not be happy with their posts being used in this way as although by posting on the internet we are allowing the world to see, it does not mean that we are willing for this information to be studied etc. When the data is coming from somebody under 18, it is necessary to obtain the consent of their parent or caregiver. On the internet, it is often the case that details such as age, race, gender etc. are unknown which means that there can be a breach in the rules surrounding informed consent.
Another concern with the internet as a data source is that on the internet people often act in a way that they would not in an encounter of a different kind. This may work in favour for the experimenter, e.g. by using anonymity to remove any social desirability bias, or against them, e.g. by giving data that does not generalise to real life as well as it should.
The internet does have other strong benefits though. The most obvious of these is the ability to connect with many other people far more easily than ever before. This means that a researcher can quickly obtain data from a wide range of sources and if the proper methodology is taken, much of it can be very effective and useful. Using the internet, researchers can instantly connect with people who otherwise may have remained unknown meaning that rich data can be collected about rare events and studied in much higher detail than would otherwise have been possible.
The internet does have its dangers but is far too useful a tool to be dismissed completely with regard to qualitative research. It is true that certain lengthy precautions ought to be taken when gathering data from this source but I believe that if these are taken, and the research is conducted properly, the internet can be just as good a source for data as it is for information of any other kind.
joestatsblog 
Informative blog, I agree that the Internet can be dangerous but it is far too useful to be fully dismissed as a source of research.
There are obvious flaws when using the internet such as informed consent, as many people can lie about their age race and gender. But still the amount of rich qualitative data that can be gained is extremely useful to psychologists. Although some may argue that it is unethical to go into chat rooms as researchers, there are nearly always terms and conditions that say the conversations can be seen by anyone.
You mention that ‘Another concern with the internet as a data source is that on the Internet people often act in a way that they would not in an encounter of a different kind.’ I agree this could work in favor of the experimenter but could it to be a bias just like social desirability bias seeing as it cannot be generalized?
Great subject to write about, I do agree to some extend about the dangers the Internet poses but they do not outweigh the benefits research has from Internet studies. Personally I must receive 3 or 4 emails a week asking me to participate in a research questionnaire. I believe that as long as the questions asked are easily understood and written in a way that does not require much thought over the answer, I see no reason why lies should be told. If someone was going to lie then why would they participate in the research in the first place. It is by choice if you participate, nobody is forced to do it.
The Internet is rich in valuable research information; it covers a wide selection of the population as it is world- wide. Regardless of where a researcher obtains their data, it will never be 100% accurate. Sona for example use Psychology student for research, is it fair to say that they always tell the truth when participating in experiments? Can we say these Sona findings can be generalized to the whole population? There will always be flaws in research, we just have to learn to work with them.
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