Internet research in midwifery: Practical considerations and challenges

The Internet is an exciting tool for midwifery research; however there are a number of unique challenges that must be addressed. The global and transient nature of the Internet sometimes makes it difficult for the researcher to ensure best practice, but international guidelines provide direction in dealing with these issues. The Internet researcher must ensure anonymity and confidentiality, as well as gain informed consent from research participants. Copyright and intellectual property regulations must be observed, rules of online communities should be respected and an endeavour must be made to ensure that research results are disseminated to all the study participants.