Why Should We Use Online Research Methods? Four Doctoral Health Student Perspectives

Germain, Jennifer; Harris, J. Irene; Mackay, Sean; Maxwell, Clare

doi:10.1177/1049732317721698

Cited by 27 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, identifying the range and content of topics discussed in online settings may help researchers to frame subsequent research. A caution in using extant data from the internet was described in recent work by Germain et al (2017). They found that it was possible to reidentify people by performing Google searches of specific quotes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Face-to-Face Compared With Online Collected Accounts of Health and Illness Experiences: A Scoping Review

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Advocates of online alternatives to face-to-face interviewing suggest online approaches save money and time, whereas others have raised concerns about the quality and content of the resulting data. These issues affect researchers designing and costing their studies and application reviewers and research funders. We conducted a scoping review of English language articles describing the range of online alternative approaches. Furthermore, we systematically identified studies directly comparing online alternatives with face-to-face approaches. Synthesis of these 11 articles (565 participants) suggests that online alternatives should not be viewed as a straightforward replacement for face-to-face, a particularly important finding given the rapid communication changes occurring in the COVID-19 pandemic. When applied with consideration of the evolving evidence on their strengths and weaknesses, online methods may increase the likelihood of obtaining the desired sample, but responses are shorter, less contextual information is obtained, and relational satisfaction and consensus development are lower.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Face-to-Face Compared With Online Collected Accounts of Health and Illness Experiences: A Scoping Review

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We argue that such discussions are informative for understanding the specific contexts of status concealment given that such sensitive topics may be difficult to discuss with researchers. Online research is especially useful for the study of people or groups that may be hard to reach offline because they discuss “topics they may not feel comfortable sharing elsewhere” (Germain et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concealing an HIV-Positive Status in Medical Settings: Discussions in Russian Online Forums

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Concealment of diagnosis is one of the most important manifestations of HIV-related stigma, which is a major barrier to addressing the growing HIV epidemic in Russia. The purpose of our research was to understand how and why people living with HIV (PLHIV) conceal their HIV status in medical settings. We analyzed data collected through two major Russian online forums for PLHIV. We found that concealing HIV status in medical settings is connected to worries about breach of confidentiality, denial of quality medical care, and judgment from health care providers. PLHIV discuss the dilemmas between risks of disclosing and potential legal or health-related consequences of concealment. We identified strategies that PLHIV use to conceal their status including falsifying medical records, hiding test results, and offering payments to doctors. Understanding status concealment is important for building more effective interactions between health care providers and PLHIV, at both the individual and the institutional levels.

show abstract

“…Illness stories published on the Internet are an emerging, valuable resource for health care research (Germain, Harris, Mackay, & Maxwell, 2017; Mazanderani & Powell, 2013; O’Brien & Clark, 2010) and constitute an underexploited database of patient-authored, patient journey representations. The advantages of these sources include that they are widely accessible, new contributions are regularly made to the database of stories, and the content is shaped by the events, thoughts, and feelings that are significant to the authors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When Patients Tell Their Own Stories: A Meta-Narrative Study of Web-Based Personalized Texts of 214 Melanoma Patients’ Journeys in Four Countries

Lamprell

Braithwaite

2017

Qual Health Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Malignant melanoma is an aggressive, recalcitrant disease. Its impact on people can be compounded by the physical and psychosocial consequences of medical management. Providing melanoma patients with patient-centered care that is effective, safe, and supportive throughout their journey requires knowledge of patients' progressive experiences and evolving perspectives. With ethical approval, we undertook a meta-narrative study of 214 experiential accounts of melanoma collected from the personal story sections of melanoma and cancer support websites. Using a narrative approach, we qualitatively examined the care experiences represented in these accounts and identified needs for supportive care in a framework reflective of the personal patient journey. We differentiate these across three key periods: lead-up to diagnosis; diagnosis, treatment, and recovery; and posttreatment and recurrence, and provide a visual representation of the patient journey. This article contributes to the growing body of work that utilizes Internet content as sources of qualitative, experiential health care data.

show abstract

Why Should We Use Online Research Methods? Four Doctoral Health Student Perspectives

Cited by 27 publications

References 19 publications

Face-to-Face Compared With Online Collected Accounts of Health and Illness Experiences: A Scoping Review

Face-to-Face Compared With Online Collected Accounts of Health and Illness Experiences: A Scoping Review

Concealing an HIV-Positive Status in Medical Settings: Discussions in Russian Online Forums

When Patients Tell Their Own Stories: A Meta-Narrative Study of Web-Based Personalized Texts of 214 Melanoma Patients’ Journeys in Four Countries

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About