Networked Field Studies: Comparative Inquiry and Online Communities

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
Departmental Papers (ASC)
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
networks
social media
qualitative methods
ethnography
Communication
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Contributor
Abstract

In this article, I articulate a methodology for comparative qualitative analysis of online communities, which I refer to as networked field studies. I describe networked field studies as an approach that allows for looking across multiple communities and field sites to build a coherent set of analytical claims about the role of technology and everyday life, drawing on my own research investigating relationships to digital technologies among three countercultural communities. The major aim of this article is to contribute to methodological discussions on comparative qualitative analysis within Internet studies, foregrounding how research on digital technologies can both benefit from and complicate a comparative approach. After a brief summary of the communities studied in the research that has given rise to this methodological approach, I outline key methodological concepts and address the strengths and limitations of networked field studies as a method for analyzing socio-technical practices in everyday life.

Advisor
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2017-10-01
Journal title
Social Media + Society
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
Recommended citation
Collection