USING THE INTERNET FOR SURVEY-RESEARCH

The Internet and electronic mail increasingly offer the research commu nity opportunities that it did not previously have. Access to informat ion has increased as has access to and discussion with those working i n similar areas. One other aspect of 'cyberspace' which presents enorm ous possibilities to the research community, currently in its infancy, is the use of the Internet to reach individuals as research subjects. In particular, there may be significant research benefits to be glean ed where the group being researched is normally difficult to reach and /or the issues being researched are of a particularly sensitive nature . This paper outlines some recent survey research using the Internet a s the interface between researcher and researched. The target group, i llicit 'drug dealers', are difficult to access under normal conditions and contacting a spread of such individuals across international bord ers was previously prohibitive. A discussion of sampling issues is und ertaken which concludes that the Internet can be a valuable source of indicative as opposed to easily generalizable data. A practical guide to undertaking research via the Internet is also included.