From lab to net: conducting experiments online in social research

Today, a large portion of social science researchers conduct their experiments online. Yet, much of the traditional training in experimental research deign and methods is written with a physical laboratory in mind. This leaves experimentalists-in-the-making rather daunted about how to design and imple- ment their experiments online. The case will discuss the basics of how to design an online experiment which will include aspects such as: sample representativeness of the online population, practices for monitoring respondents online, and the implementation of manipulation checks. It will also include a transparent discussion about how much we can infer about the “real world” from what we observe in an online experimental environment. To illustrate these aspects, the article will draw on my own per- sonal experience fielding an online survey experiment of 12,000 participants coordinated across eight European countries in 2019.