Making sense of patients’ internet forums: a systematic method using discourse analysis

A survey of access to the internet in the UK conducted in 2008 revealed that the internet is used by 79% of men and 75% of women of all ages including 72% of people aged 55-64 years and 32% of people aged ≥65 years. 1 Internet data that is freely and publicly accessible are now being used for research purposes.2,3 Internet communities offer an increasingly important source of information expressed openly by individuals.In particular, the internet offers access to hard-to-reach groups who are often excluded (or exclude themselves) from traditional research studies.