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Internet Research Methods: A Canadian Perspective

This course introduces students to theoretical, epistemological, and methodological approaches in internet research, with a focus on studies conducted by Canadian researchers. Topics include network neutrality, web analytics, qualitative vs quantitative research, critical theory, and virtual communities.

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Internet Research Methods: A Canadian Perspective

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

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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.  • Kivits, J. (2005). Online interviewing and the research relationship. In Hine, C. (Ed.) Virtual Method: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. Oxford: Berg. • 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.

  8. 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. • 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. • 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.

  9. 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. • Bakardjieva, M. (2003). Virtual togetherness: an everyday-life perspective. New Media & Society. 25:3; 291–313. • Ess, M. (2002). Introduction. Ethics and Information Technology 4: 177–188, 2002.

  10. 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. • Hurrell, C. (2006, January 10). Civility in Online Discussion: The Case of the Foreign Policy Dialogue. Canadian Journal of Communication [Online], 30(4). Available: http://www.cjc-online.ca/viewarticle.php?id=1529.

  11. 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. http://faculty.uvi.edu/users/amarkha/writing/Seale.htm • Stern, S.R. (2003). Encountering distressing information in online research: a consideration of legal and ethical responsibilities. New Media & Society. 5(2):249–266 • 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:http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-00/1-00wittel-e.htm Auf Deutsch(!): http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-00/1-00wittel-d.htm

  12. 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

  13. Canadian Perspective

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

  15. 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

  16. CA*net4 A a

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