The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods

Nigel Fielding, BA (Sussex) MA (Kent) PhD (LSE), is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Surrey, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and a member of the Community of Experts of the European Science Foundation, and served on the Mixed Methods Research Association’s presidential task force on the future of mixed methods. His interests in research methodology include mixed methods, socio-spatial methods, qualitative software, interview methods, field observation, and digitally-mediated fieldwork. Nigel has authored/edited 27 books, many in research methodology, including The SAGE Handbook of Online Research Methods, Sage, 2018 (second edition), with Grant Blank and Ray Lee.Raymond M. Lee is Emeritus Professor of Social Research Methods at Royal Holloway University of London. He has written extensively about a range of methodological topics. These include the problems and issues involved in research on ‘sensitive’ topics, research in physically dangerous environments, the use of unobtrusive measures, and the role of new technologies in the research process.  His current research focuses on the historical development of interviewing techniques.Grant Blank is Survey Research Fellow at Oxford Internet Institute (OII), University of Oxford. He is a sociologist who studies the social and cultural impact of the Internet and other new communication media. He is also interested in cultural sociology, especially reviews and cultural evaluation.Grant began his career as an independent consultant based in Chicago Illinois specializing in research design, statistical analysis, and database design. He previously taught at American University in Washington DC. He completed his PhD on the sociology of reviews at the University of Chicago in 1999, and joined OII in 2010.

Online Research Methods are exploding in variety and importance. This new SAGE Handbook provides a much-needed comprehensive treatment of this dynamic and exciting field. From big data, semantic mining, AI, simulations, and visualizations to online focus groups,interviewing, ethnography, video-based research, and  much more besides, this volume has everything you need for a broad and deep exploration of the new world of research online.

• SECTION ONE - ONLINE RESEARCH METHODSChapter 01: Online Research Methods in the Social Sciences: An Editorial Introduction - Raymond M. Lee, Nigel G. Fielding, and Grant BlankSECTION TWO – DESIGNING ONLINE RESEARCHChapter 02: The Ethics of Online Research - Rebecca Eynon, Jenny Fry and Ralph SchroederChapter 03: Data Quality in Online Environments - Karsten Boye RasmussenSECTION THREE - ONLINE DATA CAPTURE AND DATA COLLECTIONChapter 04: Research Design and Tools for Online Research - Claire HewsonChapter 05: Nonreactive Data Collection Online - Dietmar JanetzkoChapter 06: What’s New? The Applications of Data Mining and Big Data in the Social Sciences - Ayelet Baram-Tsabari, Elad Segev and Aviv J. SharonChapter 07: Of Instruments and Data: Social Media Uses, Abuses and Analysis - Martin Innes, Colin Roberts, Alun Preece and David RogersChapter 08: “Big Social Science”: Doing Big Data in the Social Sciences - Jonathan BrightSECTION FOUR – THE ONLINE SURVEYChapter 09: Overview: Online Surveys - Vasja Vehovar and Katja Lozar ManfredaChapter 10: Sampling Methods for Online Surveys - Ronald D. Fricker, JrChapter 11: Online Survey Design - Vera ToepoelChapter 12: Online Survey Software - Lars KaczmirekChapter 13: Improving the Effectiveness of Online Data Collection by Mixing Survey Modes - Don A. Dillman, Feng Hao and Morgan M. MillarSECTION FIVE – DIGITAL QUANTITATIVE ANALYSISChapter 14: Online Social Networks: Concepts for Data Collection and Analysis - Bernie HoganChapter 15: Scale, Time, and Activity Patterns: Advanced Methods for the Analysis of Online Networks - Javier Borge-Holthoefer & Sandra González-BailónChapter 16: Social Simulation and Online Research Methods - Corinna ElsenbroichChapter 17: Games and Online Research Methods - Harko Verhagen, Magnus Johansson, Wander JagerChapter 18: Data visualisation as an emerging tool for online research - Helen Kennedy and William AllenSECTION SIX – DIGITAL TEXT ANALYSISChapter 19: Online Tools for Content Analysis - Roel PoppingChapter 20: Sentiment Analysis for Small and Big Data - Mike ThelwallChapter 21: Artificial Intelligence/Expert Systems and Online Research - Edward BrentChapter 22: The Blogosphere - Nicholas Hookway and Helene SneeSECTION SEVEN – VIRTUAL ETHNOGRAPHYChapter 23: Ethnographies of Online Communities and Social Media: Modes, Varieties, Affordances - Christine HineChapter 24: Online Interviewing - Henrietta O’Connor and Clare MadgeChapter 25: Online Focus Groups - Katie M. Abrams and Ted J. GaiserChapter 26: Tools for Collaboration in Video-based Research - Jon HindmarshChapter 27: CAQDAS at a Crossroads: Affordances of Technology in an Online Environment - Christina Silver & Sarah L BullochSECTION EIGHT – ONLINE SECONDARY ANALYSIS: RESOURCES AND METHODSChapter 28: Online access to Quantitative Data Resources - Louise Corti and Jo WathanChapter 29: Secondary Qualitative Analysis Using Online Resources - Patrick CarmichaelChapter 30: Finding and Investigating Geographical Data Online - David Martin, Samantha Cockings and Samuel LeungChapter 31: Mapping Spaces: Cartographic Representations of Online Data - Matthew Zook, Ate Poorthuis and Rich DonohueSECTION NINE – THE FUTURE OF ONLINE SOCIAL RESEARCHChapter 32: Engaging Remote Marginalized Communities Using Appropriate Online Research Methods - Brian Beaton, David Perley, Chris George, Susan O’DonnellChapter 33: Web- and Phone-Based Data Collection Using Planned Missing Designs - William Revelle, David M. Condon, Joshua Wilt, Jason A. French, Ashley Brown and Lorien G. EllemanChapter 34: Social Cartography and ‘Knowing Capitalism’: Critical Reflections on Social Research and the Geo-Spatial Web - Harrison Smith, Michael Hardey, Mariann Hardey and Roger BurrowsChapter 35: Online Environments and the Future of Social Science Research - Michael Fischer, Stephen Lyon and David ZeitlynChapter 36: Online Research Methods and Social Theory - Grant Blank