What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how young activists use Facebook for political purposes and establish a methodological framework for conducting online participant observation.

July 18, 2017Qualitative ResearchOpen Access

Tracing and archiving ‘constructed’ data on Facebook pages and groups: reflections on fieldwork among young activists in Zimbabwe and South Africa

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To examine how young activists use Facebook for political purposes and establish a methodological framework for conducting online participant observation.
Conducted multi-sited qualitative fieldwork in Zimbabwe and South Africa triangulating online and offline ethnography.
Tracked and analyzed algorithmically generated and user-created data across public and private Facebook pages and groups.
Formulated a seven-stage framework for Facebook ethnography encompassing background listening, friending/liking, interacting, observing, catching up, exploring, and archiving.
Identified critical ethical and methodological hurdles in digital spaces, detailing solutions for delurking, preserving data, and protecting participant privacy and confidentiality.

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Implication

Ethnographic study uncovers a seven-stage framework for online participant observation among young activists, highlighting ethical adaptations required in digital fieldwork.

Cite This Study

Admire Mare (2017) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a19fa7343a2499ce8f6d0b1 https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794117720973

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Implication

Ethnographic study uncovers a seven-stage framework for online participant observation among young activists, highlighting ethical adaptations required in digital fieldwork.

Tracing and archiving ‘constructed’ data on Facebook pages and groups: reflections on fieldwork among young activists in Zimbabwe and South Africa

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Tracing and archiving ‘constructed’ data on Facebook pages and groups: reflections on fieldwork among young activists in Zimbabwe and South Africa

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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