Using the Internet to conduct research with culturally diverse populations: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

People from around the globe rely on the Internet for daily use in a variety of ways from downloading information and staying connected with friends and family to collecting data for research purposes. Although the authors have seen rapid growth in access to the Internet among multicultural populations, some groups are still far behind. In particular, those with most limited access include non-English-speakers and low-income and working-class individuals in general. This paper discusses the use of the Internet as a research tool with culturally diverse populations with a focus on two specific purposes: The Internet as a tool to collect information about participants (e.g., survey research, qualitative and descriptive research, and needs assessment); and the Internet as an intervention tool in itself (e.g., intervention research and participatory research). The authors will discuss issues and challenges of using the Internet as a research tool and provide recommendations for using the Internet with culturally diverse populations in a culturally competent manner.