Using virtual worlds to conduct health-related research: Lessons from two pilot studies in Second Life
Introduction
Three dimensional computer-generated environments, known as virtual worlds, are examples of Web 2.0 applications which are being leveraged for health-related use [1], [2]. Second Life, created by Linden Labs, is one of the best known web-based virtual world platforms, and its use is predominantly focused on the creation of virtual objects, content, simulated experiences, and social interaction [3]. These virtual worlds offer intriguing possibilities for the conduct of health research [4], [5]. By permitting individuals to meet virtually in simulated environments, these worlds can overcome geographical boundaries. The potential for the use of applications in these environments can also enhance communication and create new mechanisms for the transmission of information. At the same time, however, virtual worlds do not replicate real life contact and it remains unclear as to how such interactions alter participants׳ behavior.
To explore the utility of conducting health-related research in a virtual world, we hosted two pilot projects in Second Life that expanded an ongoing research program examining parental concerns over the safety and benefits of immunization and the role social media plays in shaping these concerns. We approached this study as researchers with experience using standard real world research platforms who were interested in the potential utility of virtual worlds to facilitate research. We had familiarity with Second Life from an academic perspective but had never previously utilized it for conducting a study [2]. The two pilot studies were ultimately unsuccessful. This article analyzes our post-hoc experiences of replicating real-world research in virtual environments and the opportunities to do health research differently. We identified several key domains that distinguished virtual and real-world research environments and comment on some of the promises and pitfalls of conducting health research in Second Life made apparent through our two pilot studies.
Section snippets
Background on Second Life
Second Life is a virtual environment capable of replicating experiences with real-world objects, places and activities. The Second Life application is currently unavailable on mobile devices and must be downloaded to a computer connected to the Internet with a high speed connection [6]. Users in Second Life are embodied via three-dimensional representations called avatars. These avatars are the users׳ vehicles for exploring virtual surroundings, engaging in conversations, interacting socially
Objectives
Our primary objective was to determine the usefulness of Second Life (costs, recruitment, participation, privacy, and ease of generating data for qualitative and quantitative analysis) for conducting health research. Specifically, we were interested in comparing our experience using Second Life to research we had previously conducted in real-world settings. We replicated two studies we had conducted using conventional approaches: on-site focus groups examining parental attitudes towards
The transference of real-life research approaches to virtual world research
We identified the key domains in which the use of Second Life particularly diverged from the conduct of the study in a real world setting (Table 2). These included building a virtual research environment, recruitment, data capture and focus group coding, understanding participants׳ attitudes and beliefs through a digital proxy and moderating focus groups. We compare the advantages and disadvantages of using Second Life versus real world for the conduct of our studies in each of these domains.
Conclusion
To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies where a real world research study was replicated in a virtual world. The direct comparison of the experiences of conducting the same research in the two different environments provides for a more detailed comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the environments and we believe this is a unique aspect of this research. Based on our findings we would conclude that Second Life is a rich, interactive digital platform for
Ehical approval
Ethics approval was received from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine Research Ethics Board and informed consent was received for both pilot studies.
Funding
Not applicable.
Competing interests
No conflicts of interest to report.
Author contribution
Contributed to study design, data analysis and writing of the manuscript.
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