Using the Internet for Survey Research

The Internet and electronic mail increasingly offer the research communityopportunities that it did not previously have. Access to information hasincreased as has access to and discussion with those working in similar areas.One other aspect of ‘cyberspace’ which presents enormous possibilities to theresearch community, currently in its infancy, is the use of the Internet toreach individuals as research subjects. In particular, there may be significantresearch benefits to be gleaned where the group being researched is normallydifficult to reach and/or the issues being researched are of a particularlysensitive nature. This paper outlines some recent survey research using theInternet as the interface between researcher and researched. The target group,illicit ‘drug dealers’, are difficult to access under normal conditions andcontacting a spread of such individuals across international borders waspreviously prohibitive. A discussion of sampling issues is undertaken whichconcludes that the Internet can be a valuable source of indicative as opposed toeasily generalizable data. A practical guide to undertaking research via theInternet is also included.