This document provides an overview of conducting internet research and creating online studies. It discusses securing a domain name and web server space, the basic technologies used like HTML and PHP, and tools for creating studies and collecting data like forms and SQL databases. Tips are provided on using control panels to view site statistics and administer databases and email. Examples are given of placing studies online and lessons learned from those experiences regarding reducing stress during the research process.

1. Internet Research
Practice and Experience
Ravi Iyer

2. Objectives
 Basic overview of technology
 Practical Tips
 Examples of Internet Research
 Lessons from those Experiences
 Stress reducing vs. stress inducing
 Got a project? Got ideas?

3. Basic Internet Technology
 Where do I put my
studies? (domain
names & hosting)
 How do I create a
study? (html, forms,
php)
 How do I get
subjects? (ads,
myspace, craigslist)
 How do I store and
retrieve data? (mysql,
email)

4. A Home and an Address
Web Server Space A Domain Name/URL
 It’s just space on a  Owning a domain
computer that’s name is cheap ($6-
always connected to 20)/year.
the internet.  Buying a name once
 $8-30/month. you’re famous is
 Includes a control expensive ($1000s) so
panel (cpanel, plesk) buy your name now!
 Make sure it has the  Registrars (GoDaddy)
technology you want and nameservers.
 Or use the psychwiki  Get your ideas out
server for free! there!

5. From Your Control Panel
 View Site Statistics (ie. Which search
engines, what links give you
traffic…are people coming and
leaving?)
 Create and erase databases
 Administer Email
 Password Protection

7. Creating a Study
 A web page is just a text file.
 FTP software allows you to put the text file
on your web server.
 HTML gives the text file formatting.
 Forms are HTML items that allow data
input by the user.
 Javascript and PHP allow dynamic
functionality.
 SQL allows you to write data to a machine
readable format (SPSS, excel)