system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Are online, anonymous surveys (qualtrics etc.) considered a valid method for collecting data in the social sciences? What are the problems with this method and, assuming these problems are glaring, why is it so common in academic institutions?
gpt
It's a valid way to collect data, but it might not be a way to collect 'valid' data.  The people taking these surveys are self-selecting into the survey, so it's not random.  Randomness is needed if someone plans on generalizing the findings to a larger population (anything larger than the people actually taking the survey).