ABSTRACT
Frank M. Schneider, University of Mannheim, Sabine Reich, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, and Leonard Reinecke, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
How can we operationalize the new phenomenon of being permanently online, permanently connected (POPC)? In this chapter, we highlight established and innovative methods of data collection in POPC research with a focus on smartphones. After identifying conceptual as well as methodological obstacles and opportunities when measuring POPC, we synthesize the major challenges for our discipline. New mobile communication patterns add complexity to traditional interpersonal and mass communication alike, and the ethical responsibility for social scientists within this data-rich environment grows. We conclude with four approaches that may advance our knowledge and overcome some obstacles in POPC research: interdisciplinary collaboration, multi-methodological designs, cross-validations and replications, and meta-analyses.
