WEB tabanlı araştırmalar ve halk sağlığı alanında kullanımı/Use of Web Based Research in Public Health

Ozet Internet, bircok alanda oldugu gibi saglik alaninda da farkli amaclarla yaygin olarak kullanilmaktadir. Bu amaclar arasinda, bilgi sistemleri olusturulmasi, degerlendirme sistemleri yapilandirilmasi, epidemiyolojik veri toplanmasi, saglikla ilgili mudahalelerin planlanmasi ve davranisla ilgili verilerin toplanmasi siralanmaktadir. Bu denli yaygin olarak kullanilan Internet kullaniminin bir yansimasi olarak, web tabanli arastirmalar son donemlerde toplumun sagligini korumayi ve gelistirmeyi oncelikli hedefleri arasinda alan halk sagligi uygulamalarinin calisma alanlari arasina girmistir. Bununla birlikte, web tabanli arastirmalarin kullaniminin katilim sinirliligi, arastirma metodolojisinde sorunlar, etik acisindan sinirliliklar gibi kimi onemli kisitliliklari da bulunmaktadir. Halk Sagligi arastirmacilarinin web tabanli arastirmalari yuruturken bu kisitliliklara dikkat edebilmeleri onemlidir. Bu yazida web tabanli arastirmalarin halk sagligi alaninda kullaniminin gerekcesi, kullanima iliskin yontem ve kisitliliklarin tartisilmasi amaclanmistir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Internet, halk sagligi, arastirma Use of Web Based Research in Public Health Abstract The internet is frequently used for health issues and for many other related purposes: creating information systems, structuring evaluation systems, gathering epidemiological data, planning intervention methods are examples. As a reflection of such wide use of the internet, web based research has been one of the working areas of the public health discipline, which basically aims to prevent and promote health and wellbeing of the community. Nevertheless, there are a number of limitations of web based research and these include limitations in participation, methodological issues, ethical limitations, and others. It is important for public health researchers to take all these limitations into consideration during their research. In this paper, the rationale of web based research in Public Health, its methods and basic limitations in use were discussed. Key Words: Internet, public health, research