Online Bulletin Board Discussions
Online Bulletin Board Discussions are another option for online qualitative research. The discussion is held online, however rather than a specific block of time with everyone participating simultaneously, Online Bulletin Board Discussions are conducted over multiple days with participants sharing their thoughts at their convenience.

During an online bulletin board discussion, questions are posted to a secure website and participants answer the posted questions each day. As the participants answer the questions, others can comment on their answers or post their own thoughts. The moderator of the bulletin board discussion logs in throughout the day to see how the discussion is progressing. They encourage interaction between the participants. A bulletin board discussion can last 3 - 5 days or weeks, depending on the depth of the topic being discussed.

Bulletin board discussion groups are desirable when working with professionals or hard to reach participants, who are generally unable to schedule two consecutive hours out of their days to participate in a group discussion. The participants are encouraged to log in to the discussion at their leisure throughout the study.

Bulletin boards are also used to discuss sensitive or thought provoking topics. The online medium gives the participants a level of disguise, so they feel a sense of anonymity with their opinion. It also creates a sense of ease when developing their responses. The participants do not feel rushed to come up with answers, nor do they have to wait for someone else to respond to the question. The responses are often detailed and can include not only their answer, but also why they responded as they did.

As with any form of online research, this methodology eliminates geographic barriers, allowing people from all across the world to participate together in a group discussion.

A drawback for bulletin board discussion is, they may take up more of the participants time over multiple days, then a traditional, one night discussion. Participation can taper off, as people get busy over the course of the study, and their participation becomes less of a personal priority.

Differences Between Online Focus Group Methodologies

Other Related Topics:
Online focus groups
Traditional focus groups