How to Conduct Behavioral Research over the Internet

Reviews / Votes

Fraley's book is one-stop shopping for any behavioral scientist thinking of creating a website to collect data. The clear writing style, combined with numerous screenshots, tables, and worked-out examples, take the reader step-by-step from research idea to fully functioning website. The steps are so easy to follow that even novices will find it straightforward to apply the ideas to their own research questions. Unlike other books, Fraley's book has a practical focus, with detailed instructions on how to write CGI programs. Most important, it tells readers precisely how to tailor a website to meet their particular research needs. This book will be invaluable to researchers at all levels, whether they are starting from scratch or merely upgrading an existing site. Any behavioral scientist interested in using the Internet to gather data should keep this book within easy reach. - Sam Gosling, University of Texas at Austin

Fraley provides a well-organized, easy-to-follow primer for conducting scientific research over the Internet. This step-by-step guide to HTML and CGI/Perl programming makes the daunting and often confusing task of creating Web-based surveys and experiments easy and fun, even for the most timid of beginners. It will make an excellent addition to any research methods course. In short, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in conducting social and behavioral research. - Katelyn McKenna, New York University

If only this guide had been available when I began conducting psychological research with CGI scripts in the 1990s! What I learned how to do over months of painful trial and error, this book can help you master within a couple of weeks. Assuming no prior programming experience, Fraley teaches you in clear, simple steps absolutely everything you need to know about conducting Internet-based research. I heartily recommend this book to professionals who wish to begin conducting research on the Internet as well as instructors who wish to teach their students these skills. It is a real gift to the field. - John A. Johnson, Pennsylvania State University