Objectives: After completing this class, you will be able to:

• Assess the advantages and disadvantages of online and remote data collection
• Understand the potential for violation of the ethical requirements for social scientific research in remote and online venues

Required Readings

Germain, J., Harris, J., Mackay, S. & Maxwell, C. (2018) Why should we use online research methods? Four doctoral health student perspectives. Qualitative Health Research 28(10):1650-1657. DOI: 10.1177/1049732317721698

Liu, M. & Wronski, L. (2018) Examining completion rates in web surveys via over 25,000 real-world surveys. Social Science Computer Review 36(1):116-124. DOI: 10.1177/0894439317695581

We have a guest speaker this week who is a real pro at online data collection. Kaylene Sattano is the Research Coordinator for the SDFA (Social Dimensions of Food and Agriculture) laboratory. We have a multidisciplinary team of researchers who work together on the social dimensions of getting food on the table. Our work includes urban agriculture, working with nonprofits in the food system, research in sustainable and organic production systems, marketing and consumer preferences, food safety and waste, and disparities in the food and agricultural system, including health disparities. She is also the Program Assistant for the Florida Sustainable Agriculture Reearch and Eduation (SARE) Program, a federal program that is administered through four regional headquarters, ours being the Southern Region office. SARE is active at the state level in every state and territory of the United States. SARE is a funding program and many faculty members and graduate students at UF and Florida A&M University have successfully competed for SARE funding. Dr. Cassell Gardner at Florida A&M University and myself here at UF are the Florida SARE Coordinators. If you want to learn more about our work, visit our website for the Center for Sustainable and Organic Food Systems. Kaylene keeps us all running at top speed and takes the brunt of the work that involves online data collection. She is invaluable for our programs. By the way, we offer a training program each year in how to write grant proposals for the SARE graduate student grants. If you are intersted in that, ask Kaylene about it when she is in our class. SARE DOES FUND social scientific research that is relevant to the sustainability of our food systems.

Research Methods Review Articles

I have assigned articles to eight individuals for this week. If you were selected you should have received an e-mail from me through Canvas. I sent an individual e-mail to each person who needs to present on Monday, April 05. If you want to check the list of people who should present next Monday, check the Week 13 discussion board. In case anyone needs it, here are the instructions for completing a review.