Digital Social Research : Theory and Method

This straightforward, student-focused book is the perfect companion to any student conducting online research. Through a carefully curated introduction to digital social research literature, the book reviews and compares different debates and gives students the opportunity to engage with a broad range of resources and ideas.

Focused on helping students understand as well as do digital research, the authors set out the theoretical perspectives of each step of the research process and link them directly to research design. It covers:- The relationship between offline and online identities- Practical ethical concerns like sampling, confidentiality, and storing personal data- Limitations and potentials of key digital methods- Digital data properties like persistence, searchability, and replicability- Collecting, interpreting and using online dataBuilt around tools, techniques, and real-world examples that showcase the kinds of questions students need to ask, this book gives students the lenses to examine the social world through digital media.