CALL FOR PAPERS

FQS Special Issue: Virtual Ethnography

1. Introduction

This special issue aims to gather different scientific work that deal with some of the theoretical, empirical and methodological topics currently faced by virtual ethnography.

Ethnography is a fundamental methodology in social and cultural research. Ethnography allows the researcher to reconstruct the meanings and materials that shape the cultural collectives he or she analyzes. Ethnography is also a qualitative approach in social and cultural studies of the Internet and digital technologies such as mobile phones, videogames, etc. Though it has been used for more than a decade for studying Internet phenomena, there still remain many methodological difficulties when developing ethnographies on/of/through the Internet.

This special FQS issue will contribute to the current debate that ethnography faces when the Internet and digital technologies are a fundamental part of its object of study and fieldwork.

The main topics of interest are 1. the alteration of both the epistemology and interpretation frameworks and 2. methodological, empirical and theoretical challenges raised by the ethnographies on/of/through the Internet.

Methodological, theoretical and empirical papers will be accepted. We are especially interested in studies that address the following topics:

Fieldwork construction: How do ethnographers develop their notion of "field" in ethnographies of the Internet?
How does the virtual/digital change the epistemological framework for ethnography?
What is the role of the ethnographer's experience with technologies, and how can it be managed in the research process?
How should technological artefacts (software and digital devices) be treated in virtual ethnographies?
Is it necessary to introduce the material dimension and not only the symbolic issues of technical artefacts in virtual ethnographies
How handles ethnography the observation of communicative activities supported by digital technologies?

2. Submission

Papers must be sent to Daniel Domínguez or Adolfo Estalella.

Papers for review. Abstracts could be presented for review at least in the English language, additionally in German and Spanish, as far as available. Full papers should be presented in English, German or Spanish.
Original texts only. Papers should be original and unpublished.
Format. The electronic format allows FQS to include long papers and different options for linking data and interpretation. Please contact the editors for further information about innovative presentation formats.
Peer Review. Contributions will be reviewed directly by the editors of the special issue (open peer review); if necessary, the FQS editors will draw on external reviewers.
General publication guidelines. Before sending in your contribution, please ensure that FQS guidelines for submissions are followed, see http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-e/manuskript-e.htm. Please also take a look at contributions published so far in FQS, see http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-e/rubriken-e.htm.

3. Additional Information

More information about the publishing process, see http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-e/publishing-e.htm.

For any questions or suggestions, please feel free to send an e-mail to any of the editors: Daniel Domínguez, Anne Beaulieu, Adolfo Estalella, Edgar Gómez, Rosie Read and Bernt Schnettler.

4. Framework

October 2006: Call for papers
15.02.2007: Deadline for submission of papers
15.04.2007: Deadline for paper reviews. Information about the results of the selection process
15.06.2007: Deadline for submission of revised papers
September 2007: Publication of the FQS Special Issue: Virtual Ethnography

Last update: 10/23/2006

[qualitative-research.net] [Home] [Inside FQS] [Features] [Services] [Submission]
[FAQ] [Advertising] [Search FQS] [Newsletter] [Editorial Team]

© 1999-2008 Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research
(ISSN 1438-5627)

Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Center für Digitale Systeme, Freie Universität Berlin