An online bulletin board (OBB or OLBB) is an online forum to which participants can log in to complete research tasks or respond to moderated questions at their own pace. OBBs allow respondents who are short of time to give their opinions at a time that suits them, and to attach images, videos or other files to support their ideas.

Whereas participants in an online discussion group all log on at the same date and time, OBB participants can visit the platform at a time that suits them, usually over the course of a few days.

Respondents are usually given instructions on how often they should log in and how many tasks will be posted, but they respond at their own pace. Since respondents have control over exactly when they submit their contribution, they can take their time to formulate coherent, well-thought-out responses.

OBBs can be organized as a dialogue between each respondent and the moderator (i.e. a type of asynchronous in-depth interview), or as a moderator-guided group discussion. Some OBBs also allow anonymity, which can encourage openness and reduce aversion to sensitive or controversial topics.

Most OBB platforms also allow the customer to log in and observe the discussion as it unfolds, and transcripts or preliminary conclusions can be created at any point during the study.