Livestreaming Platform Research: The Netnography of YouTube Communities

The aim of the article is to provide a framework for adapting qualitative ethnographic research within the field of YouTube communities. Drawing from literature on netnography and online communities, this article discusses established research guidelines and how they need to be adapted to the context of YouTube communities. The fans’ communities on YouTube fulfill the definition of online communities. YouTube communities require a specific approach when applying netnographic methodologies. Some issues, like privacy, are debatable; therefore, researchers need to answer a series of ethical questions before attempting to conduct research within this field. This work contributes to the literature on qualitative research by introducing guidelines for netnography applied to streaming platforms on the example of YouTube. The article provides guidelines for future research within the streaming platform environment. Ethical dilemmas are discussed to facilitate methodological decision-making in future research.