Social research 2.0: virtual snowball sampling method using Facebook
Social research 2.0: virtual snowball sampling method using Facebook
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DOI：
10.1108/10662241211199960
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发表时间：
2012-01-01
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Brunet, Ignasi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Baltar, Fabiola;Brunet, Ignasi
目的-本文的目的是提出一种抽样方法，使用虚拟网络来研究“难以到达”的人群。在社会研究领域，新技术的使用仍然受到质疑，因为选择偏差是在互联网上进行科学研究的障碍。在这方面，作者的假设是，使用社交网站（Web 2.0）可以有效地研究“难以接触”的人群。这一技术的主要优点是，它可以扩大地理范围，便于识别有障碍的个人。因此，在非概率样本中使用虚拟网络可以增加样本量及其代表性。设计/方法/方式-为了验证这一假设，一个虚拟的方法，设计使用Facebook来识别阿根廷移民企业家在西班牙（214例）。这一群体的一个特点是，有些人在国家统计数据中行政上看不见，因为他们具有双重国籍（非欧盟和欧盟）。使用虚拟抽样相结合的在线问卷作为Web 2.0的研究在behavioral sciences.Findings的一个补充工具-检测到的情况下，由Facebook和虚拟响应率的数量高于传统的滚雪球技术。解释是，人们增加了他们的信心水平，因为研究人员显示了他的个人信息（Facebook的个人资料），并参加了他们感兴趣的团体（Facebook的团体）。此外，在线问卷管理允许的信息质量进行控制，避免重复的cases.Originality/值-本文是第一个使用Facebook作为一种工具来研究移民。因此，它的采用是社会研究领域的一个巨大挑战，因为有许多访问和搜索的障碍。它还提出了一种新的传统方法组合，通过使用新的虚拟可能性进行更新，以努力接触人群，特别是在这些方法的贡献不太发达的社会研究领域。
Purpose - The aim of this paper is to present a sampling method using virtual networks to study "hard-to-reach" populations. In the ambit of social research, the use of new technologies is still questioned because the selection bias is an obstacle to carry on scientific research on the Internet. In this regard, the authors' hypothesis is that the use of social networking sites (Web 2.0) can be effective for the study of "hard-to-reach" populations. The main advantages of this technique are that it can expand the geographical scope and facilitates the identification of individuals with barriers to access. Therefore, the use of virtual networks in non-probabilistic samples can increase the sample size and its representativeness.Design/methodology/approach - To test this hypothesis, a virtual method was designed using Facebook to identify Argentinean immigrant entrepreneurs in Spain (214 cases). A characteristic of this population is that some individuals are administratively invisible in national statistics because they have double nationality (non-EU and EU). The use of virtual sampling was combined with an online questionnaire as a complementary tool for Web 2.0 research in behavioural sciences.Findings - The number of cases detected by Facebook and the virtual response rate is higher than traditional snowball technique. The explanation is that people increase their level of confidence because the researcher shows his personal information (Facebook's profile) and also participates in their groups of interest (Facebook's groups). Moreover, the online questionnaires administration allows the quality of the information to be controlled and avoids duplication of cases.Originality/value - The present article is the first that uses Facebook as an instrument to study immigrants. Therefore its adoption represents a great challenge in the social research field because there are many barriers of access and search. It also proposes a novel mix of traditional methodologies updated with the use of new virtual possibilities of studying hard to reach populations, especially in areas of social research where the contributions of these methods are less developed.