Virtualized ethnography: on-line participant observation and semi-structured interview

Abstract

From our ethnographic experience in chats, for the study "Entre Dones a la Xarxa: Un estudi sobre les interaccions socials entre dones en espais de conversa electronics", we try to question those methodological approaches to the virtual areas that adapt directly the ethnographic method, which until now has been used in the offline scope: What is new in the ethnographic works online? Is still the participant observation and the semi-structured interview useful for the new virtual scope? Which are their limits and possibilities? During our work of participant observation in chats we have wanted to experiment with the ethnographic method in order to try to respond to all these questions.