The methodological affordances and challenges of using Facebook to research study abroad
Some study abroad (SA) researchers use Facebook as a tool to reach participants or as the site or context of
research. In
Dressler and Dressler (2016), we examined the linguistic identity
positioning of one sojourner in Facebook posts over two sojourns. In this paper, we determine the methodological affordances and
challenges of the social media site as both a tool and context of research. We conclude that for the original study, using
Facebook enabled us to download large amounts of observational data and study the identity positioning over time. Throughout the
data collection, analysis, and writing, we encountered challenges regarding ownership of data, the dynamic nature of Facebook over
the two time periods of the study, the use of photographs, and our focus on the textual aspects of posting. From this analysis, we
provide recommendations for the use of Facebook in SA research moving forward.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Researching Facebook use
- 2.1Facebook as research tool
- 2.2Facebook as research context
- 2.3Theoretical frameworks for researching study abroad
- 2.4Ethics and logistics of using Facebook
- 3.Methodology
- 4.Findings
- 4.1Data collection
- 4.2Data analysis
- 4.3Writing
- 5.Discussion
- 5.1Study abroad Facebook research guidelines
- 5.2Limitations
- 6.Conclusion
- Notes
-
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