Multiple site entry technique: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Multiple site entry technique for online research}}

The '''multiple site entry technique''' is a strategy that can be used in [[Online research methods|online research]] (also called Internet-based research, or Web-based research) to target different samples via different recruitment sites and compare their data.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|last=Reips|first=Ulf-Dietrich|title=The Web Experiment Method|date=2000|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780120999804500058|work=Psychological Experiments on the Internet|pages=89–117|publisher=Elsevier|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-012099980-4/50005-8|isbn=978-0-12-099980-4|access-date=2022-01-24|url-access=subscription}}</ref> <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Reips|first=Ulf-Dietrich|date=2002|title=Standards for Internet-Based Experimenting|url=https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1026//1618-3169.49.4.243|journal=Experimental Psychology|language=de|volume=49|issue=4|pages=243–256|doi=10.1026//1618-3169.49.4.243|pmid=12455331|s2cid=2404134 |issn=1618-3169}}</ref>. It is a method used in [[Behavioral research|behavioral]] and [[social research]] to assess the presence and impact of [[Self-selection bias|self-selection effects]]. [[Self-selection bias|Self-selection effects]] can be considered a major challenge in social science research. With the invention of online research in the 1990s the multiple site entry technique became possible, because the recruitment of participants via different links ([[URL]]<nowiki/>s) is very easy to implement. It can be assumed that there is no [[self-selection bias]] if the data sets coming from different recruitment sites do not differ systematically.<ref name="reips">{{cite journal |last=Reips |first=Ulf-Dietrich |title=Web-Based Research in Psychology |journal=Zeitschrift für Psychologie |date=December 2021 |volume=229 |issue=4 |pages=198–213 |doi=10.1027/2151-2604/a000475|s2cid=245297753 |doi-access=free }} {{CC-notice|cc=by4}}</ref>

The multiple site entry technique is a strategy that can be used in [[Online research methods|online research]] (also called Internet-based research, Web-based research) to target different samples via different recruitment sites and compare their data.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|last=Reips|first=Ulf-Dietrich|title=The Web Experiment Method|date=2000|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780120999804500058|work=Psychological Experiments on the Internet|pages=89–117|publisher=Elsevier|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-012099980-4/50005-8|isbn=978-0-12-099980-4|access-date=2022-01-24}}</ref> <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Reips|first=Ulf-Dietrich|date=2002|title=Standards for Internet-Based Experimenting|url=https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1026//1618-3169.49.4.243|journal=Experimental Psychology|language=de|volume=49|issue=4|pages=243–256|doi=10.1026//1618-3169.49.4.243|issn=1618-3169}}</ref>. It is a method used in [[Behavioral research|behavioral]] and [[social research]] to assess the presence and impact of [[Self-selection bias|self-selection effects]]. [[Self-selection bias|Self-selection effects]] can be considered a major challenge in social science research. With the invention of online research in the 1990s the multiple site entry technique became possible, because the recruitment of participants via different links ([[URL]]<nowiki/>s) is very easy to implement. It can be assumed that there is no [[self-selection bias]] if the data sets coming from different recruitment sites do not differ systematically.<ref name="reips">{{cite journal |last=Reips |first=Ulf-Dietrich |title=Web-Based Research in Psychology |journal=Zeitschrift für Psychologie |date=December 2021 |volume=229 |issue=4 |pages=198–213 |doi=10.1027/2151-2604/a000475}} {{CC-notice|cc=by4}}</ref>

== Method ==

Several links to the study are placed on different [[Website|websiteswebsite]]s, in [[Internet forum|Internet forums]]s, [[Social media|social media platforms]], or offline media that are likely to attract different types of participants, or are mailed out to different [[Mailingmailing list|mailing lists]]s. In order to identify the recruitment sources, the published [[URL]]<nowiki/>s contain source identifying information and the [[Hypertext Transfer Protocol|HTTP protocol]] is analyzed by different referrer information.<ref>{{Citation|last=Schmidt|first=William C.|title=The Server Side of Psychology Web Experiments|date=2000|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780120999804500137|work=Psychological Experiments on the Internet|pages=285–310|publisher=Elsevier|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-012099980-4/50013-7|isbn=978-0-12-099980-4|access-date=2022-01-24|url-access=subscription}}</ref>. This means, a unique string of characters is appended to the [[URL]] for each recruitment source, e.g. “...index.html?source=studentlist” for a list of students. The [[data file]] will have a column („source“) containing an entry of the referring source for each participant (“studentlist“).<ref name="reips" />

The collected [[Datadata set|data sets]]s can then be compared for differences in results, and also for differences in relative degree of appeal (measured via dropout), [[Demography|demographic data]], central results, and [[data quality]]<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Reips|first=Ulf-Dietrich|date=2002|title=Internet-Based Psychological Experimenting: Five Dos and Five Don’tsDon'ts|url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/089443930202000302|journal=Social Science Computer Review|language=en|volume=20|issue=3|pages=241–249|doi=10.1177/089443930202000302|s2cid=64180326|issn=0894-4393|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

[[File:Multiple Site Entry Technique.png|thumb]]

The figure illustrates the multiple site entry technique.<ref name="reips" />

== Impact ==

Several studies have shown that the multiple site entry technique is a useful tool to determine the presence and impact of [[Self-selection bias|self-selection]] in [[Online research methods|online research]] (also called Internet-based research, Web-based research).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />. The multiple site entry technique helps to detect potential sampling problems, which in turn ensures the [[Data quality|quality]] and generalizability in the data [[Data collection|collection]] over the Internet.<ref name=":2" />. Moreover, this technique can be applied to different kinds of Internet-based studies, e.g. trauma surveys.<ref>{{Cite journal|lastlast1=Hiskey|firstfirst1=Syd|last2=Troop|first2=Nicholas A.|date=2002|title=Online Longitudinal Survey Research: Viability and Participation|url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/089443930202000303|journal=Social Science Computer Review|language=en|volume=20|issue=3|pages=250–259|doi=10.1177/089443930202000303|s2cid=220157952|issn=0894-4393|url-access=subscription}}</ref>.<ref name="reips" />

== Fields of Application ==

The multiple site entry technique has already been applied successfully in different research areas. For instance, Holbrook and Lavrakas<ref>{{Citation|lastlast1=Holbrook|firstfirst1=Allyson|title=Vignette Experiments in Surveys|date=2019-10-15|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119083771.part8|work=Experimental Methods in Survey Research|pages=369–370|editor-last=Lavrakas|editor-first=Paul|edition=1|publisher=Wiley|language=en|doi=10.1002/9781119083771.part8|isbn=978-1-119-08374-0|access-date=2022-01-24|last2=Lavrakas|first2=Paul J.|s2cid=210567004|editor2-last=Traugott|editor2-first=Michael|editor3-last=Kennedy|editor3-first=Courtney|editor4-last=Holbrook|editor4-first=Allyson|url-access=subscription}}</ref> discussed the multiple site entry technique in the field of [[Experimental research|experimental survey research]]. Moreover, it can also be used in a broader research context, e.g., in [[sex research]] <ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mustanski|first=Brian S.|date=2001|title=Getting wired: Exploiting the internet for the collection of valid sexuality data|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224490109552100|journal=Journal of Sex Research|language=en|volume=38|issue=4|pages=292–301|doi=10.1080/00224490109552100|s2cid=145003364|issn=0022-4499|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and in [[health science]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Whitehead|first=Lisa Claire|date=2007|title=Methodological and ethical issues in Internet-mediated research in the field of health: An integrated review of the literature|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277953607001189|journal=Social Science & Medicine|language=en|volume=65|issue=4|pages=782–791|doi=10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.03.005|pmid=17512105|url-access=subscription}}</ref>.<ref name="reips" />

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Social science methodology]]