Ethnography and Virtual Worlds : : A Handbook of Method / / Tom Boellstorff, Bonnie Nardi, T.L. Taylor, Celia Pearce.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Boellstorff, Tom,; Nardi, Bonnie,; Pearce, Celia,
• TeilnehmendeR: Marcus, George E.
• Place / Publishing House: Princeton, NJ : : Princeton University Press, , [2012]; ©2013
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (264 p.)

Ethnography and Virtual Worlds is the only book of its kind--a concise, comprehensive, and practical guide for students, teachers, designers, and scholars interested in using ethnographic methods to study online virtual worlds, including both game and nongame environments. Written by leading ethnographers of virtual worlds, and focusing on the key method of participant observation, the book provides invaluable advice, tips, guidelines, and principles to aid researchers through every stage of a project, from choosing an online fieldsite to writing and publishing the results. Provides practical and detailed techniques for ethnographic research customized to reflect the specific issues of online virtual worlds, both game and nongame Draws on research in a range of virtual worlds, including Everquest, Second Life, There.com, and World of Warcraft Provides suggestions for dealing with institutional review boards, human subjects protocols, and ethical issues Guides the reader through the full trajectory of ethnographic research, from research design to data collection, data analysis, and writing up and publishing research results Addresses myths and misunderstandings about ethnographic research, and argues for the scientific value of ethnography

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Foreword -- Chapter 1. Why This Handbook? -- Chapter 2. Three Brief Histories -- Chapter 3. Ten Myths about Ethnography -- Chapter 4. Research Design and Preparation -- Chapter 5. Participant Observation in Virtual Worlds -- Chapter 6. Interviews and Virtual Worlds Research -- Chapter 7. Other Data Collection Methods for Virtual Worlds Research -- Chapter 8. Ethics -- Chapter 9. Human Subjects Clearance and Institutional Review Boards -- Chapter 10. Data Analysis -- Chapter 11. Writing Up, Presenting, and Publishing Ethnographic Research -- Chapter 12. Conclusion: Arrivals and New Departures -- References -- Index