Fuschia M. Sirois

1. Web-based Research & Surveys Fuschia M. Sirois A Research Ethics Board Educational Seminar 

2. Web-based Research & Surveys Outline • Purpose • Brief overview of the pros and cons of web-based surveys • Group exercise • Examining specific ethical issues and possible solutions • Sample web-based survey • Questions and answers

3. Web-based Research & Surveys Purpose of this seminar is to: • familiarize you with some of the ethical issues and concerns that arise when conducting on-line research • offer possible solutions to help you address these issues when preparing the REB application • provide a discussion forum for the exchange of ideas on how to deal with online research issues

4. On-line Surveys • Growing in popularity as a research tool • Many advantages • Low cost, large samples, specialized samples, less time for data collection and entry • Some disadvantages • Fluidity of virtual contact • Challenges for delivering compensation, incentives

5. Online Surveys vs. Mail Surveys Working in groups, discuss & list 5 ways that on-line surveys are • similar to mail surveys • different from mail surveys • Focus on areas that are of particular relevance for conducting ethical research • Take about 10 mins.

6. Online Surveys vs. Mail Surveys

7. Recruitment & Advertising So you have a web-survey • how do you advertise it to your target population? Issues • EX: The organization you wish to sample from offers to give you the email list of its members • Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act [FIPPA] • Get a short url (Web team) • www.uwindsor.ca/IBDStudy

8. Recruitment & Advertising Several options • Email • Newsletter (electronic or paper) • Online ads • Google adwords, Kijjiji.ca, Craigslists.com, etc. • Online forums, newsgroups, bulletin boards for target population • Request permission to post on boards • Facilitates better response and guards against removal of study ad • Community postings

9. Informed Consent Issues • Consent implied by submission of survey (letter of information: LOF) • Clicking on agree demonstrates consent and links to start of survey • Include note to print out copy for their records • Don’t include LOF in email sent out • Suggest providing link to welcome page which then links to LOF • Set up either in Lotus Notes database • Includes UWindsor logo, easy to set up

10. Anonymity of Responses • Making survey responses anonymous • Don’t request personal contact info • Don’t add code to responses • Ensuring anonymity may increase response rate for certain populations • Right to withdraw? • limited • Make this clear in letter of information • If responses need to be identifiable, then new issues…..

11. Confidentiality Issues If you need to track participants • Link data across two time points • User code • Self-generated? • The case of 5 Buffy123’s • Provide instructions for creating code Choice of survey software/host • Where is the survey server located? • US-based survey hosts and the Patriot Act • Nature of the data should guide decision to use non-Canadian based servers

12. Compensation & Incentives • Draw vs. pay per person • different issues • Optional draw • End of survey window with option to click mailto: link to send email • “Enter me in the Draw” in the subject line • Pay per survey • Beware of response floods! • Identify survey responses with code which is sent in email • E-certificates for payment

13. Other Issues • Explanation of study page • If participant “x’s” out, how do they get this information? • Program to automatically open explanation page if participant prematurely exits survey • Include a “leave the study” button on every web page of the survey that would direct them to the explanation page • Resources page with links • Same issues and possible solutions • Solutions limited by the capabilities of the software used

14. Some final thoughts…. • Ways to deal with these issues may change as technology/programming advances • However such changes may also introduce new challenges to be dealt with • Creativity and due diligence

15. Resources for Conducting On-line Research • Wright, K. B. (2005). Researching Internet-based populations: Advantages and disadvantages of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software packages, and web survey services. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(3), article 11. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue3/wright.html • Provides comprehensive list of on-line survey software and comparative table • Psychological Research Online: Opportunities and Challenges • http://www.apa.org/science/apainternetresearch.pdf • Marketing Research Association Ethical Guidelines for Internet Research • http://www.mra-net.org/pdf/internet_ethics_guidelines.PDF • The Association of Internet Researchers is an academic association dedicated to the advancement of the cross-disciplinary field of Internet studies. It is a member-based support network promoting critical and scholarly Internet research independent from traditional disciplines and existing across academic borders. The association is international in scope. • http://www.aoir.org/

16. Web-based Research & Surveys Questions? Fuschia M. Sirois A Research Ethics Board Educational Seminar