Traditional research approaches	Internet forum-based discourse analysis
• Participants signing-up to studies come from a selected population (for example, high-adherers)	• Participants using internet (selection bias is internet users)
• Patients aware that their behaviour is being monitored (reactivity and self-representation biases)	• No reactivity or self-presentation bias
• Data collected are prompted by pre-structured research questions	• Self-initiated views with no time, length, or behavioural constraints
• Data mediated/focused through research facilitator	• Data stem from participants’ agenda
• Time consuming: small set of data	• Semi-automatic: large set of data