ABSTRACT
This chapter describes digital data collection theory and practice. Part I discusses breaking down the binary between digital and “real-world” contexts and then argues for a conceptual approach to data collection based on a Wittgensteinian notion of family resemblance. Part II of this chapter discusses the granular, practical details of digital collection practices and procedures, including practical qualitative methods, such as digital observations and fieldwork, fieldnotes, interviews, questionnaires, and surveys. It also lays out the basics of web scraping, which is a way to automate data collection for case study work. It concludes with remarks about the conundrum of when to stop collecting data.
