Internet Research Methods: A Canadian Perspective Dr. Norm Friesen & Dr. Maria Bakardjieva June 22, 2007

Goals To introduce students to existing approaches in Internet research combining theoretical, epistemological and methodological aspects and issues, Emphasis on the ways that these have been studied by Canadian researchers.

Schedule (1 of 4) June 22: –Introductions –Course overview –Introducing the Internet through network neutrality –Blog access –Web analytics as Internet research (server activity) –New Web Technologies –Qualitative vs. Quantitative research

Schedule (2 of 4) June 23: –Review; technical questions & answers –Online discussion in Canadian research –Critique: "Digital Diploma mills" –Genre as a way of studying Internet comm. –Internet Myths –Critical theory –Discursive analysis

Schedule (3 of 4) June 29: Review of main principles of social research: –The research process –Paradigms in social theory –Methodology and methods The Internet as an object of research: –Choosing a theoretical approach –delimiting the research object; –asking research questions –choosing a methodology –designing a study

Schedule (4 of 4) June 30: Research methods and their Internet counterparts. The researcher-respondent relationship on the Internet. Virtual communities and their ethnographies: principles and examples The ethics of ‘virtual’ research. Network Analysis: principles and examples Studying Internet Users Studying the Internet in everyday life

Readings (1 of 2) Hine, C. (2005). The Virtual Objects of Ethnography. In Hine, C. (Ed.) Virtual Method: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. Oxford: Berg. The Virtual Objects of Ethnography Kivits, J. (2005). Online interviewing and the research relationship. In Hine, C. (Ed.) Virtual Method: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. Oxford: Berg. Online interviewing and the research relationship Mackay, H. (2005). New connections, familiar settings: issues in the ethnographic study of new media use at home. In Hine, C. (Ed.) Virtual Method: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. Oxford: Berg. New connections, familiar settings: issues in the ethnographic study of new media use at home

Readings (2 of 2) Rutter, J. & Smith, G. W. H. (2005). Ethnographic presence in a nebulous setting. In Hine, C. (Ed.) Virtual Method: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. Oxford: Berg. Ethnographic presence in a nebulous setting Schneider, S. M. (2005). Web sphere analysis: an approach to studying online action. In Hine, C. (Ed.) Virtual Method: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. Oxford: Berg.Web sphere analysis: an approach to studying online action Orgad, S. (2005). From online to offline and back: moving from online to offline relationships with research informants. In Hine, C. (Ed.) Virtual Method: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. Oxford: Berg.From online to offline and back: moving from online to offline relationships with research informants

Recommended Readings (1 of 3) Bakardjieva, M. (2005). Researching the Internet at Home. Chapter 3 from: Bakardjieva, M., Internet Society: The Internet in Everyday Life. London: Sage. Researching the Internet at Home Bakardjieva, M. (2003). Virtual togetherness: an everyday-life perspective. New Media & Society. 25:3; 291–313. Virtual togetherness: an everyday-life perspective Ess, M. (2002). Introduction. Ethics and Information Technology 4: 177–188, 2002.Introduction

Recommended Readings (2 of 3) Garton, L., Haythornthwaite, C. & Wellman, B. (1998). Studying On-line Social Networks. In Jones, S. Doing Internet Research: Critical Methods and Issues for Studying the Net. London: Sage. Studying On-line Social Networks Hurrell, C. (2006, January 10). Civility in Online Discussion: The Case of the Foreign Policy Dialogue. Canadian Journal of Communication [Online], 30(4). Available: online.ca/viewarticle.php?id= online.ca/viewarticle.php?id=1529

Recommended Readings (3 of 3) Markham, A. N. (2004) "The Internet as Research Context" in Qualitative Research Practice, (Seale, C., J. F. Gubrium, D. Silverman and G. Gobo eds) Sage Publications, London ; Thousand Oaks, Calif., pp. xix, 620 p. Stern, S.R. (2003). Encountering distressing information in online research: a consideration of legal and ethical responsibilities. New Media & Society. 5(2):249–266Encountering distressing information in online research: a consideration of legal and ethical responsibilities Wittel, A. (2000) Ethnography on the Move: From Field to Net to Internet. Forum: Qualitative Social Research Volume 1, No. 1 – 2000, January. In English: 00wittel-e.htm Auf Deutsch(!): research.net/fqs-texte/1-00/1-00wittel-d.htm 00wittel-e.htmhttp:// research.net/fqs-texte/1-00/1-00wittel-d.htm

Canadian Context & Internet Studies: Emphases Emphasis on: –Bridging geographical distances –Federal & provincial government support for this –Strong connections between research and economy; pragmatic –Emphasis on politics, suspicion of American dominance

Canadian Perspective

Canadian Context: Geography Canada Size: 9,984,670 km² Persons per km²: 3.3 Austria Size: 83,871 km² Persons per km²: 97

CANARIE CA*net 4: optical Internet research and education network. interconnect various provincial research networks, and through them universities, research centres, government research laboratories, schools, and other

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