Abstract
Ethnographers must now confront the multi-sited, digital and mobile nature of social, cultural and economic life. As a result, the use of digital ethnography, traditional ethnographic methods modified to interact with online communities and environments, has steadily increased in anthropology and the social sciences. Criminologists are beginning to make use of the approach in response to the increasing need to account for the complex digital features of contemporary forms of criminality, victimization, policing and punishment. In this chapter, we outline some selected details of our experiences as ethnographers conducting criminological research in virtual worlds. We cover key issues that range from practical challenges and ethical quandaries through analytical capabilities to epistemological issues in the hope our reflections go some way in helping budding digital ethnographers in criminology.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Researching Cybercrimes |
Subtitle of host publication | Methodologies, Ethics, and Critical Approaches |
Editors | Anita Lavorgna, Thomas J. Holt |
Place of Publication | Cham, Switzerland |
Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
Chapter | 14 |
Pages | 283-299 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Edition | 1st |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783030748371 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783030748364 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 8 Aug 2021 |