"[I]n the online environment direct interaction with participants is replaced by computer-screen data that are largely textual, but may include combinations of textual, visual, aural, and kinetic components. We show how the online environment requires adjustments in how ethnographers define the setting of their research, conduct participant observation and interviews, obtain access to settings and research subjects, and deal with the ethical dilemmas posed by the medium."
Source
Garcia A. C., Standlee A. I., Bechkoff J., Cui Y. 2009. "Ethnographic Approaches to the Internet and Computer-Mediated Communication" Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (38: 52). DOI: 10.1177/0891241607310839 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891241607310839
Critical Commentary
"[I]n the online environment direct interaction with participants is replaced by computer-screen data that are largely textual, but may include combinations of textual, visual, aural, and kinetic components. We show how the online environment requires adjustments in how ethnographers define the setting of their research, conduct participant observation and interviews, obtain access to settings and research subjects, and deal with the ethical dilemmas posed by the medium."