ABSTRACT

As the Web emerged since the mid-90s as a distinct media form, scholars have increasingly viewed it as an object of study. To facilitate this work, some scholars have turned to Web archiving as a technique and approach, valuing the potential to complete developmental and retrospective analyses of many kinds of online phenomena. Simultaneously, Web archiving has also emerged as a practice of e-research, in which humanities and social science scholars mediate their work via digital and networked technologies. These developments pose challenges for scholars as they seek to develop methodological approaches permitting robust examination of Web phenomena. Some of these challenges stem from the nature of the Web, while others are associated with institutional structures and traditional patterns of behavior of individuals within different types of institutions.