Experiment on the Internet - new social sciences research method analysis

Piotr Siuda

We are on the verge of revolution in psychological experimenting. The experimenting method on the Internet is becoming a more and more popular research tool for psychologists. Pioneers of this method began to use it in the mid 1990s. The World Wide Web presents researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to conduct experiments with participants from all over the world rather than with the usual student sample from their local universities. Thus, it has the potential to serve as an alternative or supplemental source of subjects and research environment for traditional psychological investigations. Using the Internet to conduct research offers several advantages over traditional research practices. The new Web experiment method has proved to be valid as it offers the chance of extending the validity and acceptance of experimental research. The goal of the text is to characterize the method of experiments on the Internet, describe its advantages and disadvantages and present its history.

KEYWORDS

the Internet, experimenting on the Internet, psychological experimenting, history of experimenting on the Internet, pros and cons of experimenting on the Internet, Internet research methods, social sciences research methods