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Electronic Data Collection Methods

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Handbook of Research
on Electronic Surveys
and Measurements

Rodney A. Reynolds
Azusa Pacific University, USA
(on leave from Pepperdine University, USA)

Robert Woods
Spring Arbor University, USA

Jason D. Baker
Regent University, USA

Idea Group reference

Hershey • London • Melbourne • Singapore
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Development Editor: Kristin Roth
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Printed at: Yurchak Printing Inc.

Published in the United States of America by

Idea Group Reference (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.)
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Hershey PA 17033
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Copyright © 2007 by Idea Group Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or distributed in any
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Product or company names used in this set are for identification purposes only. Inclusion of the names of the products or companies
does not indicate a claim of ownership by IGI of the trademark or registered trademark.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Handbook of research on electronic surveys and measurements / Rodney A. Reynolds, Robert Woods and Jason D. Baker, editors.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
Summary: “This book is the comprehensive reference source for innovative knowledge on electronic surveys. It provides complete
coverage of the challenges associated with the use of the Internet to develop online surveys, administer Web-based instruments, and
conduct computer-mediated assessments. This combination of how-to information about online research coupled with profiles of
specific measures makes it an indispensable reference”--Provided by publisher.
ISBN 1-59140-792-3 (hardcover) -- ISBN 1-59140-793-1 (ebook)
1. Surveys--Methodology--Computer programs. 2. Interviewing--Computer programs. 3. Internet questionnaires. 4. Behavioral
assessment--Computer programs. 5. Social sciences--Research--Statistical methods--Computer programs. I. Reynolds, Rodney A. II.
Woods, Robert, 1970- III. Baker, Jason D. IV. Title: Electronic surveys and measurements.
HA31.2.H347 2007
001.4’33--dc22
2006019157

British Cataloguing in Publication Data

A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library.

All work contributed to this handbook is new, previously-unpublished material. The views expressed in this handbook are those of the
authors, but not necessarily of the publisher.
28

Chapter IV
Electronic Data
Collection Methods
Mohini Singh
RMIT University, Australia

Stephen Burgess
Victoria University, Australia

Abstract

This chapter discusses the application of new technologies to scholarly research. It highlights the pro-
cess, benefits, and challenges of online data collection and analysis with three case studies: the online
survey method, online focus groups, and e-mail interviews. The online survey method is described as it
was undertaken to collect and collate data for the evaluation of e-business in Australia. The online focus
group research is described as it was applied to complete research on e-commerce with small business.
The e-mail interviews applied to collect information from a virtual community of global respondents
to assess the impact of interaction between members on B2C e-commerce. The research process, its
advantages and disadvantages, are elaborated for all three e-research methods

Introduction three online data collection methods: the online

survey method, online focus groups, and online
Information systems research, like most other interviews via e-mail, by presenting them as three
research, addresses “how do we know what we case studies. These case studies were research
know” and “how do we acquire knowledge” methods that were utilised to accomplish informa-
(Klein, Hieschheim, & Nissen, 1991). As empha- tion systems research.
sised by Mumford (1991), research is undertaken Popular traditional methods of collecting
to make things better for the community as a whole. data in both qualitative and quantitative methods
Depending on the epistemology that guides the have been interviews, survey methods, and focus
research, information systems research can be groups. However, recent developments in technol-
embarked on by utilising both qualitative and ogy have made a significant impact on informa-
quantitative methods. In this chapter, we discuss tion systems and other social science research by
automating the processes. Innovative tools and

Copyright © 2007, Idea Group Inc., distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI is prohibited.
Electronic Data Collection Methods

technologies can be applied to case study research, enhancing Delphi studies, and reduced errors in
focus groups, surveys, as well as analysis of data, responses for analysis and completion of research
making research an interesting experience. Appli- are explicated.
cation of the Internet, electronic mail, chat, online The third case study is an example of e-mail
discussion boards, and other tools are increasingly interviews carried out with a focus group (virtual
applied to research to capitalise on the benefits community) with global participants. The focus
of reduced costs, quick responses, reaching out group comprised virtual community members of
to a larger population sample, and easier data an e-business. Responses to e-mail interviews
analysis. However, e-research methods that are were collated and analysed using the software
new and unproven, and akin to innovations such package, NVIVO. The e-mail interview process,
as business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce, need data collation, and analysis of responses, together
acceptance by the respondents for expediency with advantages and disadvantages of this method,
and application. are discussed at length in this paper.
In this chapter, we present and discuss three An emphasis on issues for research identified
e-research methods: online surveys, online focus from the analysis of the three electronic methods
groups, and e-mail interviews. The automated of data collection and an analysis is presented
research processes, technologies applied, the in the following section of the chapter. Future
approach, and benefits and challenges of these research trends with applications of technology,
methods are discussed with three case studies. their impact on the research process, uptake and
The first case study is about an online survey acceptance issues, bias, and infrastructure issues
undertaken to collect and collate data for the form the gist of this chapter.
evaluation of e-business in Australia. The use
of HTML pages, generating a tracking number
to allow respondents to complete the survey at Literature review
a later time, presentation of the Web pages, use
of radio buttons and drop down menus, ability The Internet and the World Wide Web continue
to capture all information by not allowing the to grow at a phenomenal rate. Their presence and
respondent to proceed unless an answer to all applications have extended from defence systems
questions was provided, are discussed at length, to business, government, education, finance,
together with their implications for research. The and other sectors of the globe. The Internet is
benefits of linking HTML pages to a database for ubiquitous, and has an astoundingly increasing
capturing responses and transporting it to statisti- adoption rate. Widespread networking, together
cal packages for analysis are explained. Although with the ease of publishing multimedia material
the advantages of technology applications to on the Web, supports exchange of high quality
the research process are indisputable, this paper documents including erudite data and information.
highlights the reasons why this method has not The Internet and other new technologies such as
replaced traditional methods of data collection, voice recognition systems, e-mail systems, Inter-
and why mixed methods of data collection are net telephony, and other innovative communica-
more popular than electronic methods. tion technologies, have enabled e-research both
The second case study is an online focus group amongst industry and academia.
research undertaken to assist the completion of a The Web sites and Web pages are potential
Delphi study with online expert panels to under- sources of data in their own right, as well as sup-
stand the development of e-commerce in small porting both quantitative and qualitative research
business. Advantages of online focus groups in (Bryman, 2004). Ethnographic studies on the

29
 Electronic Data Collection Methods

Internet, observed by Bryman, are possible if the made easy via radio buttons; quick responses; and
cyberspace is observed as a place. Ethnography of the ability to incorporate high quality images, com-
life on the Internet entails participant observation plex graphs, audio, video, and animated graphics
that, according to Markham (as cited in Bryman, (Bauman & Airey, 2003; Cobanoglu et al., 2001;
2004), can be likened to interviews. However, the Pitkow & Recker, 1995; Smith, 1997). Taylor
Internet has enabled online surveys, focus groups, (2000) is of the opinion that online research is
and interviews for data gathering as well. based on volunteer or convenient sampling rather
With the widespread adoption of e-mail among than probability sampling, captures the unedited
corporate, scholastic, and government popula- voice of the respondents, and is more effective in
tions, dissemination of survey material among addressing sensitive issues.
such populations is now a lot easier (Smith, 1997). Focus-group research method is a form of group
Smith also explains that e-mail research is an interview in which there are several participants,
economic alternative to labour intensive and ex- a facilitator or moderator, a tightly defined topic
pensive face-to-face and/or telephone interviews. for the questions, and the joint construction of
Despite some anomalies, Smith emphasised that meaning from interaction within the group (Bry-
e-mails are rapidly becoming an indispensable man, 2004). Online focus groups, as described
tool for gathering detailed information on selected by Bryman (2004), can be synchronous and
populations. However, Pitkow, and Recker (1995) asynchronous. Synchronous focus groups are in
are of the opinion that e-mail-based surveys require real time, with contributions made more or less
a user to perform text entry that does not have a immediately after previous contributions (whether
consistent structure, making it difficult for data from the moderator or other participants). The
collation and analysis. Responses to data have only difficulty with this is if the participants are
to be entered by humans (researchers), who are in different time zones. For asynchronous groups,
error prone. the moderator might ask a question and then send
Persuasive arguments for using e-mail surveys an e-mail. The group members may respond later.
are extreme cost reduction, quick turnaround, abil- Both synchronous and asynchronous focus groups
ity to facilitate interaction between the researcher can use conferencing software, e-mails, and Web
and respondent, collapsed geographic boundaries sites. Bryman also emphasises that online focus
for research, user (respondent) convenience, and groups will not replace their face-to-face coun-
candid and extensive response quality (Cobanoglu, terparts. Instead, they are likely to be employed
Warde, & Moreo, 2001; Mann & Stewart, 2002; in connection with certain types of research top-
Pitkow & Recker, 1995; Smith, 1997). E-mail is ics where dispersed and inaccessible people are
a significant method of Internet communication, required to participate in the focus group.
and it is widely used (Chaffey, 2004). Online focus group research is widely deployed
Survey research is a popular form of enquiry to support Delphi studies. A Delphi study typically
(Alreck & Settle, 1995); however, online surveys has no physical contact between participants,
via the Web using fill-in forms are, to some extent, iterations (or “rounds” of refinement), controlled
replacing postal questionnaire surveys due to the feedback (where results of the previous round are
advantages of reduced costs; point-and-click re- provided to respondents), and a statistical presenta-
sponses; structured responses; using an electronic tion of the group response (ASTEC, 1996).
medium for data transfer and collation; presenting Key aspects of a Delphi study typically are
questions visually for reinspection and review; (ASTEC, 2000; Koenig, Heinzl, & von Poblotzki,
imposing loose time constraints; access to surveys 1995; Williamson, 2000):

30
Electronic Data Collection Methods

• Sets of questions or issues are identified for terviewee apprehension about speaking and being
the study. recorded; accuracy of transcript is guaranteed; shy
• A panel of experts is used for obtaining and quiet participants are likely to come to the
data. fore, and overbearing participants are less likely
• There are two or more rounds where par- to predominate; participants are less likely to be
ticipants are requested to respond, in writ- influenced by characteristics like age, ethnicity,
ing, to a shared document that summarises or appearance and, similarly, participants are less
the evolving consensus and views of other likely to be affected by characteristics of inter-
participants. viewers or moderators (Bryman, 2004).
• At the end of each round, a summary of the Although there are several important advan-
results of the previous round is prepared by tages of online focus group research, the dis-
the investigators and communicated to the advantages are that only people with access to
participants. online facilities can participate, and sometimes
• An opportunity is provided for respondents it is difficult for an interviewer to develop a rap-
to reevaluate responses given in previous port with interviewees. Probing is more difficult,
rounds in the light of the views of others. and in asynchronous interviews, a longer time
• There is a systematic attempt to produce a is required with the risk of discontinuance from
consensus of opinion, as well as identify the interviewees. The researcher cannot always
opinion divergence. be sure that the respondent is who he/she claims
• It is most common for a consensus to de- to be (Bryman, 2004).
velop, but if there is divergence, then this E-mail research enables repeat participation
is identified and explained. and works well with focus groups. A traditional
• The process terminates when consensus focus group described by Alreck and Settle (1995)
amongst participants has been reached or typically consists of 8 to 12 people seated around
opinions have been stabilised so that they a conference table with a group moderator who
are unlikely to change further. focuses their discussion on a series of topics or
issues of interest to the research sponsor. Focus
Computer-based Delphi studies allow for groups provide qualitative information rather than
greater exploration of notions than “pencil-and- quantitative, and focus group research is regarded
paper” responses that may be limited by the size as exploratory (Alreck & Settle, 1995).
of the study. It is easier to protect the anonymity Technology has also enabled mix-mode
of respondents and, especially if the discussion is research, employing more than one method of
conducted online, participants have more freedom collecting data. Cobanoglu et al. (2001) are of the
about when they choose to respond and what they opinion that mixed-mode research usually yields
respond to (Williamson, 2000). a higher response rate. They further explain that
Advantages of online focus groups are they mixed-mode research is especially useful when
are cheaper than face-to-face interviews; par- developing technologies are not widely available.
ticipants who would normally be inaccessible Mixed-mode research may entail phone, fax,
can more easily be involved; interviewees and e-mail, and Web surveys. Cooper and Schindler
focus group participants can read what they had (2003) advocate that mixed-mode research is
written in their replies; participants can better fit utilised when earlier choices of research meth-
interviews in their own time, and do not have to ods do not turn out to be satisfactory. They also
travel to attend a focus group session; interviews suggest that although this method will incur the
do not have to be audio recorded, eliminating in- costs of the combined modes, the flexibility of

31
 Electronic Data Collection Methods

tailoring a method to the unique situation is often Case studies

an acceptable trade-off.
Although technology-based research has nu- The three case studies are presented in the follow-
merous advantages, it also has limitations. Smith ing section, describing the process and analysis
(1997) is of the opinion that these methods lack of data. Advantages and disadvantages of each
cosmetic features such as a precise layout and application are also included.
font styles, it is difficult to include monetary and
other tangible incentives, technological ability Case One: Online Survey of
is sometimes unpredictable, and the extent of E-Business Organisations
use is limited to a homogeneous society. Taylor
(2000) advocates that online surveys generate Introduction
more “don’t knows” and “not sures” because
respondents can see these options (as opposed This research was accomplished via an online
to hearing these options), and that raw online survey method and a mail survey method. Online
data substantially underrepresent some groups. surveys were considered to be the apt method of
Response rates to some Web surveys have been investigating e-business organizations since they
more than mail surveys, whereas drastically less are technology (Internet) based. Online surveys
in others (Smith, 1997). are quick, convenient, enable unlimited reach,
Literature on technology-based research is seek a response to all questions, and responses are
sparse, portraying views based on specific appli- downloadable into a database and transportable
cations and outcomes. Due to the evolving nature to statistical packages for analysis. However, due
of new technologies, new applications to research to a disappointing response to online surveys, a
will result; however, more scholarly research is mail survey was implemented to complete the
required on these methods to support their use in research project.
academic research.
Research Process
Method
A set of questions to evaluate the performance of
Three case studies are presented in this chapter e-business in Australia was initially developed in
from three separate research projects. The first MSWord. The questionnaire was developed in nine
case study is from an online survey undertaken parts, with part one comprising of questions about
in Australia to evaluate the value of e-business. the organization, and part two including questions
The second case study in this chapter is research to establish e-business development at the organi-
conducted via e-mail interviews with Amazon. zation. These were open-ended, straightforward
com’s virtual community members (a focus group) questions to ease the respondent to complete the
to understand their role in an e-business. All case rest of the questionnaire. Part three comprised of
studies presented and discussed in this chapter are eight questions to measure operational measures,
exploratory studies investigating new ways of col- with a space to fill in a number to indicate the
lecting, collating, and analysing data. Case studies percentage of improvement. Parts four and five
included in this chapter are an interpretation of were presented as Likert scales to identify the im-
learning from the process and outcome. provements achieved from customers, suppliers,

32
Electronic Data Collection Methods

processes, internal orientation, and systems inte- she provided an answer to all questions on the
gration. Part six included nine questions soliciting page.
a “yes” or “no” response to establish the online
developments in transaction capabilities. Parts Sample Population
seven, eight, and nine were presented on Likert
scales to determine the financial performance, e- A database of e-business organizations was
business benefits, and problems encountered. obtained from the University library. Business
These questions were discussed and checked Who’s Who ([Link]
for validity with a number of colleagues in the asp) is a database that lists Australian Businesses.
School of Business Information Technology at E-business organizations were sorted initially by
RMIT University. Responses of other academics [Link] and, at a glance, 1,390 company names
and researchers were taken into account, and the were obtained. It was further sorted to see if all
questions accordingly modified. Once we were the top 500 companies were include in the list
satisfied that the questions would capture the with [Link] and >1000, on the assumption that
value of e-business in Australia, a programmer these organizations would have adopted e-busi-
was employed to convert the Word document file ness and that they would have more than 1000
to HTML pages. employees.
The questionnaire commenced with a brief ex-
planation of how to proceed with the survey: about Dissemination Process
a random number (tracking number) that would and Responses Received
be created by the system to enable respondents
to note and use to complete the questionnaire at a An e-mail was sent to 1,390 companies requesting
later time or date if they wished. With this track- them to participate in the project and pointing them
ing number, they could start where they had left. to the URL for the survey. A short explanation of
A statement to ensure anonymity and security of the objectives of the research and its importance
data and information was also included. was also included. Responses received included
The HTML pages were made up of one or 407 bounced back e-mails, 9 auto responses of
more parts of the questionnaire, depending on the out of office, 14 replies asking us to take them
number of questions in each part of the survey, off the mailing list, 17 polite e-mails asking us
and the type of responses sought for the set of to take them off the list as it was their company
questions. Respondents were expected to provide policy not to respond to surveys, 22 rather rude
answers with radio buttons, choosing an option e-mails of a variety of reactions were received
from the drop down menus, or filling in a word or within a week. Some of these were:
phrase in the space provided. Attention was given
to the background colour of the HTML forms • “My time is valuable – $75 per hour. Please
to ensure that it was pleasant to the eye, and all don’t waste it unless you can pay for it.”...
questions were legible and acceptably formatted • “Sorry I can receive your e-mail, but I can’t
to correspond to the section of the pages acces- access the website. In order to do that, we
sible on each screen. The whole questionnaire need to use a separate machine which is
was presented in six HTML pages. At the end dedicated for the Internet use. Sorry I can’t
of each page, the respondent was asked to select help you.”…
the ”submit” button and proceed to the next. The • “If you wish us to participate in a survey
questionnaire was designed so that a respondent either put it in your e-mail or attach it. We
could not proceed to the next page unless he or do not chase around strange websites”;

33
 Electronic Data Collection Methods

• “We do not wish to participate, kind re- page in the questionnaire was represented as a
gards” table in the database, and each response to a ques-
• “Thank you but we do not wish to partici- tion was recorded as an element in the table. The
pate. Please remove us from your mailing database was designed to store both numeric and
list/database.” alphanumeric data. The reason for using MySQL
was that it was freely available, could handle a large
Usable responses were only 15. From the data- database, it has been tried and tested as a database
base, we could see that 22 had started, but did not server, and could be linked to the HTML files on
complete the survey. With such a low response, a Unix server via php scripts. It was a proven
at the end of a fortnight, a reminder e-mail was technology, easy to use and maintain, and sup-
sent to 899 companies asking them to ignore the ported by the University Information Technology
e-mail if they had already responded, as we had no infrastructure. The information from the database
way of predicting who would have responded. At was transferred to spreadsheet in Excel, and the
the end of another 2 weeks, the number of usable data from the paper responses were recorded on
responses went up to 32. With such a low response the same spreadsheet. Although this was very time
rate, an investigation of the company Web sites consuming, it was important to have all data col-
was undertaken to see if they were e-business lated in the same format before it was imported
organizations by clicking on the URL’s of each in SPSS (a statistical package for analysis).
business in the database. This eliminated another
175 companies. The [Link] crash did have an Assumptions
impact on Australian organisations as well.
That all e-business organization managers would
Case One: Mail Survey be computer literate and “click” oriented;

With 32 responses the findings would not have • That all e-business organization would be
been valid; therefore, we sent the same question- “high-tech” organizations with automated
naire, word processed as a mail survey, to 724 processes and communications.
companies. A polite note to thank them if they
had already responded to the survey, the URL Findings
for the survey if they wished to respond online, a
stamped envelope for the response, and assurance From case study one, the following findings about
of security of data were mailed with a hard copy online surveys are evident:
of the questionnaire in the mail out. The letter
was addressed to the e-business manager. In the • Technology supports scholarly research,
month following the mail out of the survey, the which is easier than more traditional meth-
online responses increased to 91, and valid hard- ods;
copy responses received were 78. This research • New technology “clicks” is still very new
analysis is therefore based on a response rate of and unproven; therefore, it is not utilised to
23.3%. its full potentia;
• Procedure for setting up an online survey is
Data Collation the same as a traditional survey; the differ-
ence is in the dissemination process;
The responses to the online questionnaire were • The process of collating data from online surveys
transferred to a database created in MySQL. Each is simplified by integrated technologies;

34
Electronic Data Collection Methods

• Tools employed to collect data (radio but- data collection, taking into account lessons learned
tons, drop down menus, filling in gaps) are from the first instance in 2001.
user friendly and user convenient;
• It is possible to capture an answer to all Research Process
questions, making the research findings more and Sample Population
meaningful;
• Although there is evidence of bias in the In the 2001 study, six Australian academics with
population surveyed online, technology lead- a research background in one or more areas of
ers are shy to adopt automated systems; small business, the strategic use of information
• Response rate with technology-based re- technology, and/or electronic commerce, were
search is poor; invited (and agreed) to participate in the study. It
• Negative and rude e-mails are clear indi- is not possible to claim that the viewpoints of these
cations of unfamiliarity of innovations in academics were representative of the viewpoints
research and resistance to change; of all worldwide, or even Australian, academics in
• Mixed research methods (e-mail, mail sur- their respective areas. However, the participants
vey, and HTML pages) are more promising were regarded as experts in their fields by their
than e-research; and teaching and research records in their respective
• Respondents can remain anonymous with fields, and that their input to the study was very
online surveys. useful in refining the conceptual model that had
been developed from the literature in those areas.
Challenges In 2005, the five participants again had varied
backgrounds that related to the areas being covered
Getting respondents to accept online question- by the model (small business, electronic commerce
naires (first experience, unable to follow instruc- and, in this instance, developing countries, as this
tions, a lack of trust, difficult to share informa- was a focus of the study).
tion). These particular studies suited the use of the
Delphi technique based on Williamson’s (2000)
Case Two: Delphi ideas that:
Online Expert Panels
• The development of the model benefits
Introduction from subjective judgements on a collective
basis.
This case actually describes two very similar • The individuals and organisations contrib-
instances of use of the Delphi technique and on- uting to the process come from diverse
line expert panels for the purposes of testing and backgrounds with respect to experience
refining a model representing business strategies and expertise (small business, information
that small businesses could adopt when establish- technology, electronic commerce, develop-
ing a Web presence. The first instance occurred at ing countries).
Monash University, Australia in 2001, where one • More individuals are needed than can ef-
of the authors used the technique to conduct an fectively interact in a face-to-face environ-
expert panel comprising six experts from various ment.
backgrounds. The second instance is occurring at
the time of writing (2005), where a PhD student The “electronic” study also assisted to resolve
of the author is conducting a similar method of some of the problems of the Delphi study that

35
 Electronic Data Collection Methods

were discussed earlier. Delphi studies can be slow, Outcomes

costly, and time consuming, especially when hav-
ing to gather experts together. This problem was In 2001, the outcome of the study resulted in a
reduced with the use of electronic communication. more complex model than was originally proposed,
In the 2001 study, an online bulletin board was with extra feedback loops added in for small busi-
used to conduct the study. In the 2005 instance, a ness operators to revisit what they had carried out
listserve is being used. This means that experts do earlier in the planning process. In the 2005 study,
not have to gather in one place. Another problem the model is being refined according to feedback
is the chance of participants misunderstanding the from the experts: in this instance providing more
written input. This was reduced in the rounds of detail to its operation.
data collection by providing summarised versions
of the overall responses, identifying consensus or Data Analysis
divergence at each stage. In relation to the panel
of experts being too like-minded, it was identified The use of the Delphi technique using small online
earlier that focus group members for each study expert panels means that data analysis is fairly
were selected from different fields. In relation to easy. Respondents’ comments (usually one major
anonymity, there are significant differences be- set of comments per respondent per round) are
tween the two instances. In 2001, each respondent analysed for themes, a summary of the responses
was offered the chance to view summary results is prepared, and the model revised to show in the
of the study as an incentive for participating, but new data collection “round” to respondents. The
remained anonymous. Each participant could view fact that there are a number of rounds allows for
previous responses of all participants without the reporting of the results and the development
knowing who they were, and the summary of each of the model to occur in a systematic fashion.
round reduced the chance of “investigator bias.” Advantages of the online focus group method
However, this also meant that participants had include being able to solicit responses from
the opportunity to comment upon responses from participants electronically without having to ask
other participants, so the contributors were not them to be present at a particular location, being
exactly contributing on an equal basis in relation able to complete a Delphi study in a much shorter
to when and how they made their responses. This period of time, and data collection and collation
was of little concern, as the main reason for the was better managed without the need for too much
use of the technique was to establish if there was transcription.
any discourse to act upon and to achieve even- The only disadvantage was keeping all the
tual consensus. The same aim was there in 2005, participants engaged till the end.
but the difference is that the use of the listserve
meant that the participants were not anonymous Case Three: E-Mail Interviews with
to each other. This technique was selected in the [Link] Virtual Community
hope that one participant’s response would turn
up in the e-mail inbox of other participants and Introduction
would prompt them to respond, which appears
to be the case. This research (Singh & Rose, 2004) was accom-
plished via e-mail interviews with a cohort of
virtual community members at a large, well-es-
tablished e-business, [Link]. The objectives

36
Electronic Data Collection Methods

of the e-mail interviews were to understand the The interview questions in the e-mail comprised
interviewees’ experiences of being a virtual com- two sections addressing issues in relation to an
munity member (product reviewer and customer interviewee as a prospective customer and the
of [Link]), to discover the roles of virtual reviewer as a product reviewer. There were four
communities in e-businesses, and to understand and three questions in each section respectively.
information (about products) diffusion process
via a virtual community. Population Sample

Why [Link] At the time of the interviews, the [Link]

virtual community consisted of 500 members.
[Link] was selected because it is a large, This was identified from the [Link] Web
well-established e-business that has existed since site ([Link]
1995. The product reviews from its virtual com- obidos/tg/cm/top-reviewers-list/-/1/ref=cm_tr_
munity members are a feature that has existed trl_top/103-8089675-7444662). However, only
since 1995 and used as a sales enhancement tech- 84 of these reviewers publicly listed their e-mail
nique. The virtual community features consist of addresses on the product review home page.
a publicly available homepage for every Product Therefore, the questionnaire was sent to 84 of
Reviewer, which other B2C e-businesses (Barnes the 500 virtual community members.
& Noble, EBay, Dymocks, Angus and Robertson,
[Link], eToys, iVillage, eTrade) did not have, Pilot Testing
and publicly available e-mail addresses for Product
Reviewers (virtual community members), which The interview questions were pilot tested with
enabled the collection of interview data. seven postgraduate research students in the
School of Business Information Technology at
E-Mail Interviews RMIT University. These students had substantial
experience and knowledge of the Web, Internet,
The research was carried out through the use of information technology, and research issues.
interviews via e-mail. This method allowed for Their responses were incorporated according
data to be gathered from respondents around the to which minor modifications were made to the
world who are members of [Link]’s virtual questionnaire.
community. The use of e-mail interviews was
appropriate for this research because virtual com- E-Mail Interview Process
munity members at [Link] are contactable
only via e-mails, and they are from different parts An introductory e-mail was sent on the 3rd of
of the world. These reviewers provide a publicly November 2001 to 84 members of Amazon’s
available information source on the usage of virtual community. This e-mail briefly explained
community at the [Link] Web site. This the aims and objectives of the research project,
research was conducted in two parts. The aim of and RMIT University ethics information. Twenty-
Part one, e-mail interviews, was to understand the three respondents replied agreeing to participate
interviewee’s experiences as a virtual community in the project. On November 19, 2001, the first
member (product reviewer and customer), and to set of questions was e-mailed to the 23 Amazon.
determine the contribution a virtual community com virtual community members. Within 5 days
makes to an e-business by understanding the in- of sending the e-mail out, 14 replies were received.
formation diffusion process about new products. On November 27, 2001, the first questionnaire was

37
 Electronic Data Collection Methods

sent again to the 9 members who did not respond. encountered, then the node was used again by
By December 9th, all 23 responses for the first set selecting the relevant text and dragging it onto
of questions were received. the node. Therefore, the process of coding the
The second part of the research aimed to further documents involved the decision to either create
explore two major themes analysed from the first a new node (to represent a new concept) or reuse
part of the research. On December 10, 2001, the an existing node (for the reappearance of a concept
second set of questions were sent to the same 23 in the text). The Nvivo software includes the abil-
interviewees. Within a period of 3 days, 15 people ity to generate reports on all codes. This report
responded. On December 13, 2001, the second set contains information such as the full node name
of questions were resent to 8 interviewees who had (for a tree node), and the number of characters,
not replied previously, gently reminding them of paragraphs, and documents coded for the node.
the importance of their response. Within 4 days The report can then be exported into a text file
another 3 replies were received. By December 17th, for reporting, or a spreadsheet such as Excel for
18 responses for the second set of questions were generating graphs to show trends.
received. The second questionnaire comprised two
sections. The first five e-mail questions determined Assumption
interviewee’s experiences of interaction with
other virtual community members. Section two This research was based on the following as-
was made up of technology questions regarding sumptions:
the Web site features. This part consisted of four
questions. • [Link] reviewers were also Amazon’s
customers;
Data Analysis • That the [Link] hierarchical ranking of
reviewers ([Link]
A software package, called Nvivo, was used exec/obidos/tg/cm/top-reviewers-list/-/1/
to carry out thematic data analysis. The Nvivo ref=cm_aya_bb_tr/104-0068777-0349564)
software is designed to run on the Windows op- represents a ranking of the most influential
erating system and, therefore, has a user-friendly members of the online store’s virtual com-
interface. It enables thematic analysis of data on munity;
a computer. It uses the abstract concept of a node • That the respondents (virtual community
to represent a category. The process of coding members at [Link]) had e-mail skills,
a document involves discovering and creating which meant that they were able to express
nodes. The software automatically creates a node their views electronically and had access to
for which it generates a name. computers and the Internet; and
All interview e-mail transcripts received were • That all reviewers gave an honest re-
imported into the Nvivo software. The first stage sponse.
was coding of the documents. The actual process
of coding an interview transcript involved reading Findings
the e-mail document on the screen and highlighting
key words or phrases. Once a suitable text passage The findings of the third case study are:
was highlighted, a node was created and a name
given to the node, which represented the concept • E-mail interviews work well with small
that described the highlighted text. After moving research projects (fewer questions on the
on to another e-mail response, if similar text was screen).

38
Electronic Data Collection Methods

• It is a successful research method that works the first case study, and have further enhanced
well with focussed groups; scholarly research.
• It is easy to identify nonrespondents and send
them reminders without annoying the others, Global Reach
therefore respondents are not anonymous;
• Unstructured responses to e-mail can be Electronic research enables a researcher to obtain
collated with software such as Nvivo for responses from people in different parts of the
qualitative analysis. same country as well as to people in different
• It is cost effective; parts of the world. International respondents can
• Requires less effort, as one e-mail can be add richness to data for research analysis. As il-
sent to the group by creating group lists; lustrated in the second case study, the research
• Enabled research with a cohort of respon- would not have been possible, as the virtual com-
dents from different parts of the world (re- munity members did not provide addresses other
searcher was in Australia and the respondents than their e-mails.
were in different parts of the world); and
• If questionnaires are not very long, they do Cost Effective
not have to be attached and can be sent as
an e-mail. With e-mails and online surveys, the costs of paper,
printing, photocopying, and postage are drastically
Discussion depleted. Although costs have to be incurred to set
up e-research, once set up, it can be easily adapted
From the three case studies presented previously, a to other projects with minor modifications to the
number of issues regarding electronic research meth- software. Communication via e-mails contributes
ods for scholarly research were identified. These are to substantial cost savings. It also helps continued
discussed in the following section of the chapter. contacts, allows for easily expressed gratitude, and
supports increased response rates. Gentle remind-
Benefits ers via e-mails, illustrated in case two, managed
an excellent response rate.
Technology is an Enabler of
Electronic Research Convenience

With the application of technology, the case studies The use of e-mail for disseminating a research
mentioned have clearly illustrated automated re- questionnaire is convenient because one e-mail is
search processes of data collection, data collation, sent to many recipients by grouping them. “Group
analysis and reporting. Electronic questionnaires lists” are features supported by all e-mail software.
are not entirely a new concept as they were used With this method, the recipients are blind copied
as early as 1985 (Sekaran, 1992) via data disks so anonymity is maintained and the researcher has
and personal computers hooked to networks using to do it once only. The laborious tasks of folding
a computer package called CAPPA. However, the paper, sealing envelopes, placing stamps on the
ease of questionnaire dissemination and integrated envelopes, opening mailed responses, are not
research processes supported by the Internet, required in technology-based research. All files
which is ubiquitous, can be amalgamated with are stored electronically, again reducing the need
front-end and back-end systems, as illustrated in for space, people, and filing.

39
 Electronic Data Collection Methods

Quick Response sites, and other publications. Application of e-mail

to research is illustrated in both the case studies
Through the use of e-mails and online survey presented.
questions, returning the response is accomplished
with the click of a mouse or by pressing a key on Online Focussed Group Research
the keyboard. The respondents’ time with folding
paper, sealing the envelope, and sending it back Focussed group research is increasingly replacing
is not necessary. The researcher is able to receive surveys and face-to-face interviews with indi-
responses quicker via technology than by post, or viduals. It is well supported with advancements
face-to-face interviews. in technology and, as illustrated in the second
case study, works well as an electronic research
Enhanced Responses method.

To achieve a satisfactory response rate, it is a better Challenge

and cheaper way of sending out reminders than
the postal system. For the research participants, The most important challenge apparent from the
sending back responses are managed with the click first case study is respondent (user) acceptance
of a mouse in electronic research. Response rates of technology-based research. For an acceptable
determine the success of a research project. response rate to meaningful scholarly research,
it is imperative that users accept technology for
Data Collation their responses. Akin to B2C e-commerce, where
the success is dependent on consumer acceptance,
As explained in the case studies, data collation and the success of electronic research methods is
analysis processes are far superior in technology- dependent on respondent acceptance. It is very
supported research. Computing tools and tech- clear from the first case study that in spite of all
niques enable sophisticated approaches for data the benefits of electronic research methods, they
management, transfer, analysis, presentation, and are only feasible if users accept it as a means of
reporting. Electronic research methods ease data responding. Although strategies for enhancing
collation processes with integrated technologies respondent acceptance are a further research issue,
such as e-mails, HTML pages, databases, spread- it is highly likely that the acceptance rate can be
sheets, reporting software, and other applications improved by using the approaches used for any
that smartly combine, and support data transfer innovation diffusion. Communication, education
and analysis without having to re-entering it. programs, promotion, assurance of secure trans-
action and trust, and familiarity with technology
E-Mail Research is a Practical may assist acceptance.
Means of Gathering Data
• Biased Population: Technology-based
The e-mail infrastructure already exists in most research has a very strong bias, enabling
organizations, virtual communities, businesses, responses only from those who have access
the education sector, and in private homes, mak- to and knowledge of technology.
ing it a very practical tool to use for research. • Technical Knowledge: It is evident from
It is also possible to obtain e-mail addresses of the case studies that technical knowledge
different groups of people from directories, Web is required to set up and manage online
research.

40
Electronic Data Collection Methods

Conclusion from [Link]

ings/[Link]
This chapter shows how quantitative research
Bauman, S., & Airey, J. (2003). Effective use of
can be managed via online surveys, and quali-
the Internet for survey research. Wirthlin e-Solu-
tative research can be managed using e-mail
tions. Retrieved May 21, 2003, from [Link]
interviews and online focus groups. It reveals
[Link]/wintellitech/[Link]
that technology application has been extended to
areas of scholarly research, although it is not very Bryman, A. (2004). Social research methods (2nd
widely discussed. Technology-based research is ed.). Oxford University Press.
an economic alternative to traditional methods.
Chaffey, D. (2004). E-business and e-commerce.
The value of technology-based research lies in
Pearson Education Limited.
reduced costs, quick responses, technology-sup-
ported data collation, analysis and reporting, easy Cobanoglu, C., Ward, B., & Moreo, P. J. (2001).
dissemination of questionnaires, and easy-to-do A comparison of mail, fax and Web-based sur-
follow-up and repeat research. Technology can vey methods. International Journal of Market
be combined with applications such as Web sites, Research, 43, 441-452.
listserves, bulletin boards, and e-mails in various
Cooper, D., & Schindler, P. (2003). Business
forms for scholarly as well as market research.
research methods (8th ed.). Columbus, OH: Mc-
The new trends in scholarly research are increas-
Graw Hill.
ingly becoming technology dependent, despite its
low user acceptance rates. The current research Eaton, B. (1997). Internet surveys: Does WWW
trend is a combination of technologies to support stand for ‘Why waste the work?’, Quirk’s Market-
surveys, focus group research, and e-mail inter- ing Research Review, June, Retrieved May 21,
views, or the use of mix-methods for eliciting 2003, from [Link]
responses. Further research into strategies for asp?arg_articleid=244
user acceptance of technology-based research,
Klein, H. K., Hieschheim, R., & Nissen, H. E.
keeping them engaged, anonymity, and motiva-
(1991). �������������������������������������������
A pluralist perspective of the information
tion is required for electronic research methods
systems research arena’, information systems re-
in scholarly applications.
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traditions. In Proceedings of the IFIP TC8/WG
8.2 Working Conference on Information Systems
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42
 Electronic Data Collection Methods

provide two further advantages. One is that they grammed in HTML, is presented. The responses
can help to solve the problems involved in trying are captured in a database linked to the HTML
to organise a focus group of participants that are pages. Online surveys can incorporate spaces for
great distances apart. The other advantage is that responses, list boxes, or radio buttons. Pages can
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Online Surveys: Survey research undertaken
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via the Internet and the World Wide Web. A URL,
with the research questions as fill-in-forms pro-

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