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COMMONLY USED TECHNOLOGIES IN BUSINESS RESEARCH 43

sequence and personalize the questions as we would desire (skip questions and
ask appropriate follow-up information). This will require that the respondent at
the other end has access to a computer and is willing to respond. The repre-
sentativeness of the sample will also be compromised, as we shall see in Chap-
ter 11. Companies like SurveyOnLine offer specialized services to conduct
Internet surveys for firms that need information of a confidential nature, as for
example, the effectiveness of supervisors. Computer-assisted telephone inter-
views can also be conducted to gather data, as we will see in a later chapter.
The marketing, finance, accounting, sales, and other departments of a com-
pany can and do use the Internet frequently for their research. In the business
environment, desktop computers can be connected to the local area network
(LAN), which in turn, could be hooked to the Internet by a high-speed line. This
would help several individual employees to gain simultaneous access to central
information. The LAN enables employees with computers in close proximity to
share information resources and files, and helps schedule, monitor, and process
data from remote locations.
Business research can proceed using the Internet and search engines, even
where sources of information on a particular topic are not readily known.
Search engines are software programs designed to help the search on the World
Wide Web. By keying in the important (key) words that describe the topic in
some fashion, the user can address the search engine to suggest the best possi-
ble “links” (sites with the requested information) and access them directly to
review the needed data. Altavista and Google are two such search engines put
to frequent use.

Electronic Mail

The Internet also permits the exchange of electronic mail (e-mail), which has
increasingly become the primary mode of business communication both within
and outside the company, especially in the wake of the anthrax scare following
the post–September 2001 events. Prior to the pervasive reach of the Internet, e-
mail was primarily used within large technically sophisticated corporations, in the
academic environment, and in certain government defense sectors, but not
between corporations or other entities. The easy global access to the Internet has
enabled all organizations and many individuals to have access to e-mail. The
external world comprises both national and global territories. E-mail is inexpen-
sive, almost instantaneous, and has the added advantage of guaranteed delivery
subject only to the correctness of the e-mail address. E-mail is a simple and effec-
tive way of requesting and obtaining data on a variety of topics from both within
and outside the organization. Short surveys could also be conducted via e-mail.
Several “cyber cafes” offer access to the Internet for those who do not own or
have ready access to a computer.
It should be noted that due to bioterrorism hazards attendant on postal com-
munication, e-mail could well become a safer alternative. According to the San
Francisco Chronicle (October 23, 2001, p. B1), the volume of e-mail has risen
25% since September 11, 2001. When very valuable and confidential information