ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to describe what online ethnography is and how it can be applied in research, whether in small or large projects. It provides insight into how online ethnography developed in the past, key issues that were discussed, and how for the last decade the approach has increasingly focused on social media environments. The steps of the research process are detailed from the development of a research idea to the choice of fieldwork, as well as the analysis and presentation of results. Recently, however, much research has focused primarily on archived material alone. Another development is that most studies appear to be presented in the same way as qualitative studies outside of ethnography in the social sciences or humanities. The chapter therefore makes a case for two long-standing principles of ethnography. First, participatory methods could be adopted more often, as actual interaction leads to a greater understanding of insiders’ views and actions – the raison d’être of ethnography. Second, ethnographic writing has in the past helped make the approach unique among other strands of research and studies. If the narrative, captivating, and more personal way of writing can get footing again, we will likely see a greater proportion of energizing online ethnographic studies in the future that are read by many.
