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GOR (German Online Research): Themes
Basic Research @ Internet
Internet-based research methods are used in different scientific disciplines, e.g. psychology, communication science, sociology. The possibility to control the communication setting, documentation via log files, and - depending on the questions asked - even visual anonymity are methodological advantages in the context of the various research paradigms. Also, the specific (social) psychological characteristics of Internet communication and its effects on perception, judgment formation and behavior between persons and groups are topics for Basic Internet Research.
GOR also is a place for studies that serve to advance, and improve the quality of, Online Research and Internet Science.
Teaching and learning @ Internet
The increasingly spreading trend in education to virtualize teaching offers two main areas in research: on the one hand organization of the teaching environment and the transformation of the material to multimedia learning contents; on the other hand evaluation of teaching and learning projects and analysis of the user structures as well as learning success.
Market research @ Internet
The Internet offers numerous possibilities for data acquisition within the area of market research. Almost all traditional data collection methods (e.g. questionnaire studies, interviews, group discussions, experiments and content analyses) can be realized. What is the current status of Internet-based market research? Aside from methods to set up market research projects (e. g. panel) technical realization via tools and sites, the organization of software programs as well as possibilities of analysis are interesting topics. On the other hand chances and limits of market research in the internet should be discussed. To what extent can data from Internet collections be compared with data collected by traditional procedures?
Which advantages and down sides are linked with on-line research, e.g. flexibility and low cost in conducting a study vs. self selection of participants?
E-Commerce @ Internet
For quite some time, business in virtual shops has been no longer limited to a few areas, as for instance the book trade; it is possible to purchase everyday utensils and obtain consultation of most different types is in this way. But how are internet services to be organized? For which goods and services does E-commerce make sense? E-commerce not only offers the chance to increase business success and logistic advantages, but also promotes the development of completely new models and technologies. An example are aspects of security in conducting business. Apart from the possibilities in application, goals and social context should be brought up for discussion. How will the commercialization of the Internet develop? Which technical, legal, and other conditions exist, e.g. Avatars, on-line law, consumer credit law, web advertisment, domain names? When does dealing with [using] the Internet
promise success and for whom?
Computer-mediated communication in organizations
In working life one notices an increasing mediatization. Many businesses implement intra-nets in order to speed up communication and make it more effective. The number of virtually linked jobs is growing. Virtualization serves as an organizational strategy for teams and entire businesses. By introducing so-called virtual task groups and enterprises the bonds of the individual member to the enterprise are questioned, co-operation relations change. One should also discuss the fit of medium and task in this context, i. e. the question how spatially separated work affects the perfomance in different tasks and how processes and tools of CMC can be optimized.
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