Online health survey research during COVID-19

Your inbox probably has more invitations to join online health research surveys than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Online surveys have become an important tool for COVID-19 research when conventional survey methods are not feasible. Yet the response to COVID-19 has also underlined the urgent need for high-quality behavioural data. Is the trend towards online health survey research an indication of practices to come or a stark reminder of the perils of convenient sampling methods? This Comment examines unique opportunities associated with online health research surveys, challenges in implementing and interpreting data from online surveys, and considerations for getting the most out of online health research.