Research In/About Cyberspace

J. Santoy

May 2008

usertechnology usertechnology

research

usertechnology

Research aboutResearch in

reseacher

How to conduct research

in and about

these spaces of interaction?

How is concept of space theorized?

Physical

Objective

Container for external

materiality

Mental

Subjective

Internal

(Sajo, 1989;1993)

Mental

Subjective

internal

Physical

Objective

external

Social

(Lefebvre, 1991)

Social Relations

Physical Mental

Social Space

Perceived Conceived

Lived

(Lefebvre, 1991)

Realm of physical experience produced and

reproduced through spatial practices,

activated by movement

Perceived Conceived

Lived

Conceived

Realm of mental experience constructed as (dominant) representations of space,

Seek to order

Realm of social experience in (dominated) spaces of representation

Lived

Apply theories of produced social spaces to gain an understanding of the

spatiality of cyberspace

(Saco, 2003)

Social Space

Perceived Conceived

Lived

Theory of social space can inform research in and/or about cyberspace

Text

Constitutes a place

created by a system of signs

Becomes a space

when readers interact with the text

to activate the meaning of the signs

(de Certeau)

(web page, blog, etc.)

Human interaction activates

physical or perceived realm of sociospatial experience

Perceived

User

Reader

Writer

System

What are the implications for researchers?

Cyberspace is a different ground of inquiry

Researcher own interactions constitute space

Leads to methodological and ethical questions

Researcher’s perception of interaction?

Which methods provide “more objective” analysis?

Perceived

Author

Reader

Researcher

Text

Affordances

Methods = interactions with the text

• Rhetorical analysis

• Web text as “spokesperson”

• Which elements chosen for analysis?

• Was there bias and subjectivity?

• My interpretations as valid as those of producers of the text (Rouzie)

• Participant can confirm or contradict researcher interpretation (McKee)

• Triangulation needed?

• Include participants

• Interactions move into “real” spaces

• How will interaction influence participant behavior?

Conceived

Mental constructs

Representation

Order

Producer

Ownership

Who

benefits from

Or

“owns”

the presentation?

Interactions help users create representations which attempt to order

human movement

Who

benefits?

Conceived

Mental constructs

Representation

Order

Producer

Ownership

researcherParticipant(s)

Power dynamics

Repressive/productive(Foucault)

Researcher

Participant(s)

Power dynamics

Repressive(Foucault)

Power dynamics

productive (Foucault)

researcher

Participant(s)

Interactions & representations

order human movement

Private?

Public?

Perceived/Conceived

Mental constructs

Representation

Order

Producer

OwnershipProtection? Confidentiality? Future Effect?

Methods = Choices affect representation

Whose knowledge is privileged?

Lack of triangulation with participants

Privileges researcher voice/perspective

Control of the representation

How do methodological choices affect participants “lived” space?

Private? Public?

Protection? Confidentiality?

Future Effect?

Lived

Experienced passively

Hegemonic spatial

representations

Site of resistance

Online research spaces are not neutral,

But practiced spaces …

Go beyond what IRB requires

Savvy bloggers use anti-indexing code

Capacity of creating new spatial orders

via resistance,

disrupting and overturning meaning

created by traditional research practices.

Online Space Methodological Considerations

Perceived

Interaction between

User & System

User & text

User & user

How does researcher interaction shape the

space?

How does researcher perception differ from

user perception?

Online Space Methodological Considerations

Conceived

Mental constructs

Representations created by interactions

Seek to order movement

Who constructs the representation?

Whose knowledge is privileged?

Who produces, owns, benefits from the representation?

Online Space Methodological Considerations

Lived

Experienced passively

(dominated/hegemonic)

spaces of representation

Possible

site of resistance

How do the interactions &

representations affect off-line life?

What are researcher goals?

What are participants’ goals and action for

representation?

Questions?

janie.santoy@ttu.edu