Internet Inquiry: Conversations About Method [Paperback]

Annette N. Markham (Editor), Nancy K. Baym (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1412910013 | ISBN-13: 978-1412910019

This collection of dialogues is the only textbook of its kind. Internet Inquiry: Conversations About Method takes students into the minds of top internet researchers as they discuss how they have worked through critical challenges as they research online social environments. Editors Annette N. Markham and Nancy K. Baym illustrate that good research choices are not random but are deliberate, studied, and internally consistent. Rather than providing single "how to" answers, this book presents distinctive and divergent viewpoints on how to think about and conduct qualitative internet studies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Annette N. Markham is a senior research fellow in the Center for Information Policy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, researching the connection between method and ethics and conducting research of decision making processes in institutional review boards. She is also a senior development specialist for the State of Wisconsin, working with subject matter experts in the corrections system to design ethically-grounded online training. Her primary research focuses on ethical practices in qualitative internet research and sensemaking in technologically-mediated spaces. Her book Life online: Researching real experience in virtual space (1998, Alta Mira) has been regarded as a foundational sociological study of Internet experience. Other writing related to method can be found in Sage Handbook for Qualitative Research (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005, 3^rd Edition); Qualitative Research: Theory, Method, and Practice (Silverman, 2004, Sage); and such journals as Qualitative Inquiry, The Information Society, and the Journal of Information Ethics. Annette received her Ph. D. from Purdue University.

Nancy Baym is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. She has written many widely-cited articles about online fan community and social aspects of online interaction and is the author of the book Tune In, Log On: Soaps, Fandom, and Online Community (Sage Press, Inc.). She is a co-founder and Past-President of the Association of Internet Researchers. She is an award-winning teacher whose courses address the use of new communication technologies in creating identities, relationships and communities, interpersonal communication, and qualitative research methods. She serves on the editorial boards of the premiere journals in the field, including New Media & Society, The Journal of Communication, The Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, and The Information Society. Her blog about fan activity on the internet can be found at

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc (July 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412910013
• ISBN-13: 978-1412910019
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #419,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful discussion of methods for doing internet research November 14, 2010

By Mia Consalvo

Format:Paperback

I've taught many qualitative research methods classes for graduate students in mass communication/communication studies, and this volume does an excellent job of introducing some of the most common questions that come up as beginning researchers (or established researchers considering undertaking qualitative research projects) grapple with as they conceptualize as well as conduct their studies. The book covers important topics such as how to think through the ethics involved in doing online research, and what constitutes 'public' and 'private' online. Likewise, chapters take up other valuable discussions such as the role of the researcher's emotions when doing fieldwork; and how to create a project that is comprehensive yet doesn't overwhelm the researcher.

The volume is also innovative in its approach: each chapter begins with a question, such as "How can researchers make sense of the issues involved in collecting and interpreting online and offline data?" To answer the question, one contributor writes a longer response, which is followed by two additional responses by other writers. This method keeps the focus on grappling with methodological choices, and makes the book feel more like a conversation between researchers, rather than a dry 'how to' manual. It also encourages the writers to talk about their own past practices and illustrate their points through examples from past work, which lends further weight to their suggestions and conclusions.

Overall, Internet Inquiry: Conversations about Method is a call to Internet researchers to think deeply and with care about our methods for doing research online. Both Markham and Baym are superbly qualified to put together this volume--they have not only led the field of internet studies through their own research on life online, but they have also been pioneers in actively seeking to improve the methods by which internet research is done. Bringing in key researchers in the field, Baym and Markham do a top notch job of assembling one of the best methods books about Internet Studies yet created.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellen introduction to qualitative approaches for internet research December 12, 2010

By Edgar Gómez Cruz

Format:Paperback

This is an excellent book to engage with some of the key issues and questions in qualitative research about the Internet. The way it is constructed, as a dialogue, engages the reflection of the reader with the issues that are discussed. I will definitely recommend it as a basic book for those interested in qualitative inquiry of the Internet and new technologies, not only in communication studies but in any discipline.