The World Wide Web is only around 20 years old, but it has transformed the way we work, collaborate, engage in commerce, participate in the politics and interact socially. This course will provide students with thorough training in online research methods for social science Internet research.  While "obtrusive" social research methods (e.g. online surveys and focus groups) will be covered, there will be greater emphasis on unobstrusive research methods, e.g. quantitative (statistical) analysis of Internet trace data from emails, websites, blogsites and social networking sites such as Facebook.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Compare online research methods to methods traditionally used by social scientists.

2. Locate available tools and data for online research.

3. Be able to conduct basic social network analysis using data from the Web.

4. Understand the ethical implications of various online research methods.

5. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of various online research methods

1. Class participation and online forum (15%, 750 words approx.) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 5]

2. Two computer lab exercises (15% each, 750 words approx.) [Learning Outcome 3]

3. Critical review of journal article - paper and class presentation (20%, 750 words) [Learning Outcomes 1, 4, 5]

4. Final paper (35%, 3000 words) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Two ninety minute sessions on campus per week.  These will be recorded and online students will be expected to listen to the podcasts and work through computer lab material.  Total workload is approximately 10 hours per week including classes, participation in online forum and private study.

Students are expected to be familiar with using a computer and using a web browser in particular.  It is expected that students will have had some exposure to quantitative or qualitative social science research methods. 

DEMO8007 Statistics for Social Scientists or equivalent.

DEMO8086 Social Science of the Internet.

Course notes and additional readings will be available via the learning management system (Wattle).

The computer labs involve software that presently only runs in the Firefox web browser and in Excel 2007/2010 under the Windows operating system.  In-class students will be able to use the software in the computer lab.  Online students (and students wishing to work on the computer lab exercises off campus) will need to have the appropriate software installed.

Students undertaking the "Social Science of the Internet" stream of the Master of Social Research must take this course and DEMO8086 Social Science of the Internet.

This course can be selected as one of two DEMO methods courses that students undertaking the "Social Research Methods" stream of the Master of Social Research are required to take.

In 2013, this course is taught in in-class mode, but distance and part-time students may optionally take the course in online mode.