In the Environmental Consciousness Study 2014 by the Fed-eral Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Environment Agency an online survey has been applied for the first time. Purpose of this report is to reflect on experiences gained with this online survey and to explore the opportunities that online surveys may have in the field of environmental social science research. Furthermore, the authors describe methods of online access panels and examine possibilities of drawing representative samples and conducting high quality surveys. Finally, they present other methodical approaches (e.g. panels for longitudinal surveys or "Market Research Online Communities"). The advantages and disadvantages of online surveys can be assessed well, especially compared to personal or telephone interviews. However, the authors conclude that ensuring strict representative population samples is methodologically complex.