The Elon anthropologist's edited volume introduces methods guidelines and provides case studies for the practice of digital ethnographic study in the social sciences.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology Devin Proctor served as the single editor for a new edited volume, Practicing Digital Ethnography, out now from Routledge.
The volume is a comprehensive introduction to the essential methods, concepts and practices of conducting ethnographic research in and about digital environments. Written by 60 global contributors across 12 chapters with accompanying case studies and concept explorations, it provides both theoretical foundations and practical guidance for digital ethnographic work. The book also examines ethical challenges specific to digital research environments while maintaining a commitment to reflexive, co-present research that acknowledges how our interactions with digital technologies transcend boundaries of citizenship, race, gender identity, age and ability.
Proctor began this project because he found selecting readings for his courses on internet culture difficult. The classes had constantly been torn between well-researched and theorized but dense and jargon-laden articles on one hand and readable popular “think pieces” without any basis in research or evidence on the other. This left a gap between the two. This book hopes to bridge that divide, seeking to be approachable and useful but also theoretically and methodologically rigorous. The objective is to provide practical advice on the methods, concepts, and themes of digital ethnography, so that students can effectively conduct their own studies, whether in or out of the classroom. To this end, it’s presented in an approachable style ideal for students and researchers in anthropology, media studies, science & technology studies, and communications who seek to understand contemporary hyper-mediated environments, as well as professionals outside academia who need practical, accessible guidance for conducting rigorous digital research.
The main chapters are a deep-dive into themes such as “virtual reality research” or “digital ethics.” These are paired with short “case studies” that feature different digital ethnographic studies being done currently, written by the researchers doing the work. These involve research on shamanic use of selfies in the Amazon, Iranian feminist social media collectives, GIS use in Cameroon and Polish dark net drug markets, along with many others. Each chapter also includes a “micro-chapter” about a central concept, e.g., “affordance,” “platform,” “meme,” and so on.