Following on the post about ethical research online, I want to launch a discussion about sampling and identity. Whenever I discuss the idea of conducting sampling activities online, and then interviewing people online, inevitably the question arises: "how do you know the research participants are who they say they are?"
After all, on the Internet dogs are free to mingle unnoticed...

What do you think? Are you concerned with identity of research participants, and what steps do you, would you take to ensure that you are selecting and interviewing the desired participants?
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