Abstract:

This chapter reviews the research environment of today and makes recommendations for the majority, in Internet language the ‘newbies'. If you are amongst the 1% of hard core enthusiasts (the digerati), this chapter will not seem very new. However, even for aficionados, some of the warnings may be of relevance. The first section of the paper looks at the historical context, the recent ESOMAR position paper, a two-factor categorisation of Internet interviewing, and an informal review of the status quo in Europe. Having established a framework, the chapter then progresses to review the do’s and don’ts of Internet interviewing.