I would like to become a paid researcher with a service like Google
Answers. Google are currently not accepting applications. What other
online businesses offer similar opportunities? I could provide answers
in most areas of science, technology, sport, music, and DIY.

Dear Forkbeard, 

There are several sites that offer the same possibility. They don't
all work the same like Google Answers. Some, for example, allow you to
offer the fee you think you deserve to answer the question.

Keen 
http://www.keen.com/
One of the most established ones, where advices are given through
phone (there is also http://www.keen.co.uk).
Give advice: 
http://www.keen.com/give/advice.asp

A second prominent one is Kasamba
Kasamba
http://www.kasamba.com/ - works through emails. 
Register as an expert
http://www.kasamba.com/registration/reg.asp 

Bumper Brain 
http://www.bumperbrain.com/ - same model 
Are you an expert? 
http://www.bumperbrain.com/home.cfm?CFID=10959867&CFTOKEN=15184841&View=B 

Advice Trader
http://www.advicetrader.com/home.asp - some questions are for a fee, some not. 

I'm Live
http://imlive.com/homepage.asp - similar to Keen, only with
video,webcam (warning: the site also has an adult section).

Helpshare
http://www.helpshare.com 

I hope this answered your question, and wish you success in these
sites. Please contact me if you need any further clarifications on
this answer before you rate it.

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Clarification of Answer by politicalguru-ga on 28 Apr 2005 11:19 PDT

I also suggest you'd look into a previous answer I gave on the subject: 
Job Possibilities for Researchers 2
<http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=211085>

It would have been a lot more succinct to tell me to search Google
Answers for the answer to my question, as the vast majority of the
links provided were from previous (already paid-for) answers. Not much
extra information.

I'm always amazed by people who want to be researchers looking for an
answer here. If you cannot find this information for yourself, how can
you hope to qualify to be a researcher?

Not to mention passing the courtesy test.

I was testing how much new information is required in an answer, over
and above previous answers to very similar questions, to merit
payment. Apparently not much,  judging from the indignant comments. I
deliberately qualified the question with new requirements (subject
areas), none of which were even mentioned in the answer. It seems that
being paid for research is money for old rope.

Since there are no sites (as far as I know) that specialise in the
fields that you've mentioned, I can see no way I could just fabricate
such sites for your satisfaction. The same goes for the availability
of sites. The sites I've picked up for you - in case you're interested
- have been all checked (since such sites cease to exist). Perhaps, if
you defined better what sites are already known to you, you would have
gotten different answers, although I doubt it.

Political, if you were a decent researcher then you would have created
5 or 6 online answer services that met the questioners expectations. 
Then you would have obtained a client base large enough and given the
sites enough of a good reputation that they would be acceptable
answers.

Apparently you are simply not willing to do the work associated with
being a Google Researcher and should be fired or atleast demoted to...
Junior Google Researcher.