ABSTRACT
The main argument of this chapter is that digital ethnography is neither new nor consists of one single approach. It is a set of methods that studies the use of digital technology both on- and offline, while at the same time using affordances of these very same digital technologies for studying the impact of the digital on cultural practice and social relations. The chapter addresses some of the definitional issues of an ethnography of the digital: How is it defined as a form of inquiry? And do we need a separate sub-discipline in order to study the digital ethnographically? Next, the chapter refers to some of the foundational moments of digital ethnography, explaining how these have triggered new approaches and novel ways of understanding the digital. The fourth section particularly focuses on the methodological consequences of such shifts, looking at some of the classical methods and techniques used in doing digital ethnography whilst similarly exploring new frontiers where the ‘fireworks’ are expected to happen. After a brief section delving into some of the emergent ethical issues in this field, the chapter concludes with recommendations on how to teach (ourselves) digital ethnography.
