Abstract:

Marshall McLuhan said the 'medium is the message', but in the early days of online research the common call was that the Internet was just another data collection medium and that it was not going to change research, it was simply improving things like speed, cost, reach, and convenience. However, it is beginning to be apparent that the Internet is a disruptive innovation, i.e. one that changes the business rules and the methodologies. This paper looks at various aspects of this unfolding disruption.