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Technological advancement and the expansion of resources are key propellers of methodological innovations in scientific research. The virtual field is gradually occupying a larger space in scientific research, particularly regarding qualitative research. There are numerous tools that help in accessing the field of study, collecting data, recruiting of subjects, and providing support in processing and analyzing data. Low cost, time saving and access to otherwise inaccessible groups are the main potentialities pointed out in the literature. This chapter aims to enrich methodological discussions regarding information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as to improve data collection methods mediated by ICTs used in qualitative research. Through a review of the body of literature on internet mediated research (IMR), production on the topic was characterized. The most widely used data collection methods are identified and discussed. Discussions originated from the review were broadened and deepened through contributions emerging from a study carried out by the authors. The results reinforce the contributions pointed out by the analyzed body of work and highlight the contextual, relational, and data validity dimensions. In an interconnected way, these dimensions allow for the production/obtaining data with specificities deriving from a new relation of individuals with time and space. Finally, attention is drawn to the idea that the background for methodological discussions about IMR is the same as the one for methodological discussions regarding science in its most different approaches – the demand for strong methodological, epistemological and ontological coherence.

Internet‐mediated research is becoming an increasingly viable option for forensic researchers, allowing some of the limitations of traditional approaches to be overcome. Many advantages are evident in this approach, such as the ability to access large, diverse samples and specialist groups. However, there are limitations and ethical issues that researchers need to be aware of. This paper provides an overview of internet‐mediated research for forensic researchers and practitioners, and highlights some of the ways in which this approach can be used to undertake research relevant to forensic practice. Some examples of research undertaken using this approach are provided.

This paper aims at understanding the dynamics underlying toleration as a complex social phenomenon and its pattern on Facebook during the June 30th revolution in Egypt. Thanks to the huge advances in ICT, internet-mediated research (IMR) has become one of the most prominent research methodologies in social sciences. Discussions on social network sites cannot be neglected in studying the dynamics complex and emerging social phenomena such as changes in public opinion, culture, attitudes and virtues.

To fulfill this aim, the researchers used web content analysis as a method inside IMR paradigm to analyze the discussions on Tamarrod’s Facebook page in the period from June 30th to July 5th and to examine the emerging overall pattern of toleration.

The results show indications that toleration is inherent in the Egyptian culture, and that the Egyptian society still keeps its reputation as a highly tolerant society, even in crises periods where tensions are witnessed everywhere. Moreover, the results also show that the web content analysis process proposed in this study is highly reliable and valid.

The importance of the study lies in introducing a computational and empirical approach to analyze web content in a semi-automated way and proving its validity and reliability to study social phenomena such as toleration.

This study identifies predictors of customers' trust in banks at both the banking system level and toward individual banks. A mixed methods technique is utilized which combines both customers' and bankers' perspectives.

The study utilizes mixed methods, including a questionnaire survey of 1017 bank customers from retail banks, together with qualitative research derived from ten interviews with Israeli bankers.

The quantitative study shows that transparency is mediated between perception of price fairness and integrity of the banking system level and trust toward individual banks. Customer satisfaction was found to be a mediator between integrity of the banking system and trust in the individual bank. Qualitative analysis of interviews with bankers yielded six themes: integrity, transparency, price perception, service, bank image and regulation.

This study adumbrates specific aspects of the banking system and of individual banks. Cultural differences pertaining to trust might validate the findings when the study is replicated in other countries.

Since customers are universally considered as key bank stakeholders, insights are provided concerning determinants at the banking system level and toward individual banks, both crucial to explain trust. From both managerial and policymaking perspectives, this study contains valuable practical implications.

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the intersection of research into international marketing (IM) and the internet, seeking areas where knowledge is developing, and where further research is required.

The study utilizes an integrative review of the extant literature.

The study identifies the role of the internet as a tool for competitive advantage and internationalization. In considering these aspects of the internet within IM, the necessity for establishing a foreign market presence is also examined. Further, it is asserted that the internet’s influence on internationalization is largely through exporting of products and digital services.

The paper offers a new perspective on the issues emerging in the literature in terms of IM and the internet, and identifies new avenues for future research.

This chapter provides an overview of the specific legal, ethical, and privacy issues that can arise when conducting research using Twitter data. Existing literature is reviewed to inform those who may be undertaking social media research. We also present a number of industry and academic case studies in order to highlight the challenges that may arise in research projects using social media data. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of the process that was followed to gain ethics approval for a Ph.D. project using Twitter as a primary source of data. By outlining a number of Twitter-specific research case studies, the chapter will be a valuable resource to those considering the ethical implications of their own research projects utilizing social media data. Moreover, the chapter outlines existing work looking at the ethical practicalities of social media data and relates their applicability to researching Twitter.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) rapidly became the “new normal” with profound implications for everyone's daily life. In this paper, emerging psychologists from diverse cultural backgrounds discuss four main ways in which COVID-19 impacted diverse psychological populations.

This paper was written as a reflection on how COVID-19 has impacted diverse psychological populations using authors' academic and personal experiences.

First, the authors explore inaccessible populations with a focus on domestic violence victims living in rural areas. Second, the authors consider consequences of social isolation with a focus on remote workers. Third, the authors investigate the consequences of public (dis)trust in the pandemic with a focus on migrant worker communities. Finally, the authors discuss pandemic-relevant subcultures with a focus on “anti-vaxxers”.

The paper concludes with a discussion of negative implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on diverse psychological populations, both for the present and the future, and ends with an action plan of possible interventions to overcome these limitations.

Overall, the current paper provides a broad overview of how the pandemic has shaped and will continue to shape diverse psychological populations.

Over the past decade, the number of people engaging with social media has grown rapidly. This means that social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are potentially good sources of rich, naturally occurring data. As a result, a growing number of researchers are utilizing these platforms for the collection of data on any number of topics. To date, no consistent approach to the ethics of using social media data has been provided to researchers in this sphere. This chapter presents research that has developed an ethics framework for the use of researchers working with social media data. The chapter also presents the framework itself and guidance on how to use the framework when conducting social media research. A full report can be accessed on: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/socsci/research/new-europe-centre/information-societies-projects-225.php