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Using Internet Surveys for Research

Using Internet Surveys for Research. Barbara J. Myers Department of Psychology. Why do we use Internet surveys?. Rare populations Hard-to-find populations Populations that cannot come to you. Why do we use Internet surveys?. Convenient for participants Low-cost—No paper, no postage

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Using Internet Surveys for Research

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  1. Using Internet Surveys for Research Barbara J. Myers Department of Psychology

  2. Why do we use Internet surveys? • Rare populations • Hard-to-find populations • Populations that cannot come to you

  3. Why do we use Internet surveys? • Convenient for participants • Low-cost—No paper, no postage • Data entry is automatic

  4. Other researchers could target participants . . . • When you have their e-mails—send the announcement straight to them • Participants who do not show up for appointments to take surveys • Participants who are on the internet in the middle of the night

  5. Our 3 studies using internet surveys • Parents of children with autism (N = 520) • Parents of children with either autism (n = 212) or Down syndrome (n = 68) • Parents from India, now living outside India, with children with autism (n = 27)

  6. Recruitment of our samples • E-mail contact with organizations that these parents use • Autism Society of America • Every state, county, city chapter • Asked them to place a notice in their newsletters or link on their webpage • Over 220 organizations contacted

  7. Creating the questionnaires • Inquisite program • Get the CD and install it on your computer • Inquisite walks you through formatting of survey

  8. Our questions • Button-type answers • Short-answer fill-in (e.g., other medications not already listed?) • Some questions branched • Open-ended questions had room for essay-length qualitative answers • We asked TONS of questions

  9. Explaining purpose of study to participants • Entry page stated purpose of the survey • Told them who we were, our contact info • That this was research • Estimated time to take survey • That they were free to not take part • That submitting their answers constituted granting CONSENT to be in study

  10. Protecting confidentiality • We collected no identifying information • No names, addresses, birthdates, emails • No information on where they saw notice about study • We don’t know who they are and will never contact them again

  11. Accessing our data • First stored in Inquisite file, with password protection • Inquisite transforms data to SPSS or ACCESS • Stored these datasets on office computers • (Inquisite writes little reports that are useless)

  12. Do we get publishable research? • Data from 1st study—7 papers published or in press • Goin-Kochel, R.P., Mackintosh, V.H., & Myers, B.J. (in press—accepted 11-24-2008). Parental reports on the efficacy of treatments and therapies for their children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. • Myers, B.J., Mackintosh, V.H., & Goin-Kochel, R.P. (in press—accepted 09-09-2008). “My greatest joy and my greatest heart ache:” Parents’ own words on how having a child in the autism spectrum has affected their lives and their families’ lives. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. • Goin-Kochel, R. P., Mackintosh, V.H., & Myers, B.J. (2007). Parental reports on the use of treatments and therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 1, 195-209. • Mackintosh, V.H., & Goin-Kochel, R.P., & Myers, B.J. (2006). Sources of Information and Support Used by Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 12 (1), 41-51. • Goin-Kochel, R.P., Mackintosh, V.H., & Myers, B.J. (2006). How Many Doctors Does It Take to Make an Autism-Spectrum Diagnosis? Autism, 10 (5), 439-451. • Goin-Kochel, R.P. & Myers, B.J. (2005). The congenital vs. regressive onset of autism and parents’ beliefs about causes. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20 (3), 169-179. • Goin-Kochel, R.P. & Myers, B.J. (2005). Parental report of early autistic symptoms: Differences in ages of detection and frequencies of characteristics among three autism-spectrum disorders. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 11(2), 21-39. • Other two studies—manuscripts in progress

  13. Budget for these 3 studies? • Zero • Zero • Zero

  14. Drawbacks • Sample is limited to people who own computers and use internet • Fewer participants of low income • Fewer minority families • Fewer participants with low education • Potential for junk responses

  15. Advantages of internet surveys • Ability to locate rare populations • Ease of data collection—automatic • Convenient for participants • Ability to collect an abundance of data • Scientific journals publish the work • Low budget, no budget, sustainable research

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