Collecting research data online: Implications for extension professionals

Online surveys are a convenient way for Extension educators to conduct applied research inexpensively right from their offices. One benefit of conducting research online is the potential for large sample sizes (depending on how well the Web link is marketed). Another is the ease and low cost of data collection. For example, the Financial Fitness Quiz 〈http://www.rce. rutgers.edu/money/ffquiz/default.asp〉 and other Rutgers Cooperative Extension online self-assessment tools use a Microsoft Access database that is exported into Excel for Cautions include the need to clearly state the limited generalizability of survey findings from non-random, convenience samples and to obtain university Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the collection of data from human subjects. Generally, researchers must complete a form that describes the purposes and methodology of their study and attach samples of their online research instruments and informed consent instructions. Online respondents can be prompted to click an "I accept" [terms and conditions] box similar to those seen when software is installed.