Research Exposed - by Eszter Hargittai (Paperback)

About the Book

Research Exposed offers in-depth, behind-the-scenes accounts of doing empirical social science in the era of digital communication. Through firsthand descriptions of innovative research projects, it shares lessons learned from over a dozen scholars' cutting-edge work.

Book Synopsis

The era of digital communication provides endless opportunities for the collection and analysis of social data in novel ways. It also presents new and unanticipated challenges, as researchers are often inventing elements of their methodologies on the fly or studying a phenomenon or media platform for the first time.

Research Exposed offers in-depth, behind-the-scenes accounts of doing empirical social science in this new paradigm. Through firsthand descriptions of innovative research projects, it shares lessons learned from over a dozen scholars' cutting-edge work. These candid accounts describe what can go wrong when pioneering new genres of research and how such difficulties can be overcome, giving both big-picture reflection and actionable advice. The chapters discuss a variety of methods, ranging from the completely novel to the use of more traditional approaches in the digital context, and cover research questions relevant to a range of disciplines, including sociology, political science, communication, information studies, and anthropology.

By focusing attention on the concrete details seldom discussed in final project write-ups or traditional research guides, Research Exposed helps equip junior and senior scholars alike with essential information that is all too often left with no outlet for sharing. It offers important insights into how empirical social science research can be both innovative and rigorous when dealing with the opportunities and challenges presented by digital media.

Review Quotes

There are valuable insights to be found throughout....Overall, readers will find something of use in every chapter. If you have an interest in digital issues of any shape and size and want to know how any research here gets done you will not go far wrong with this collection.-- "Qualitative Research"

Research Exposed is a gem. It is a timely and important collection. It pushes our collective thinking about methods and designs, and, by implication, the substantive conclusions we can draw. It is inclusive and comprehensive and the contributions are strong, reflective, and honest, provided by a stellar lineup. Bravo!--Claes de Vreese, University of Amsterdam, president of the International Communication Association

Eszter Hargittai's work places her without a doubt at the top of the field of internet research methods. For this edited volume, she has convened a group of experts who together bring alive the extraordinary opportunities and thorny challenges facing those using and studying digital media as serious researchers. Hargittai's commitment to thorough work and exciting scholarship makes this study of methods a must-read for the internet-era researcher.--John Palfrey, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

With candor and clarity, contributors to this invaluable collection describe the newest research pathways as well as the tangents and hurdles that arise along the way. This revelatory book should be required reading for all social researchers and for anyone seeking deeper insight into the trailblazing scholarship that is making headlines and illuminating contemporary society.--Alondra Nelson, Institute for Advanced Study, president of the Social Science Research Council

Research Exposed contributes significantly to extant literature, demystifying aspects of social scientific research methods that involve digital technologies.--Kirsten Foot, coeditor of Media Technologies: Essays on Communication, Media, and Society

About the Author

Eszter Hargittai is a professor and holds the Chair of Internet Use and Society at the Institute of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. She is the editor of Research Confidential: Solutions to Problems Most Social Scientists Pretend They Never Have (2009) and coeditor of Digital Research Confidential: The Secrets of Studying Behavior Online (2015).