Springer International Handbook of Internet Research

This handbook, the first of its kind, is a detailed introduction to the numerous academic perspectives we can apply to the study of the internet as a political, social and communicative phenomenon. All the major themes in internet research are explored. Review From the reviews: “A valuable book consisting of 31 essays, research reports, and professional papers on Internet issues, research, controversies, and more. The book could be useful as a personal reference, or as a source for ideas for one’s own research agenda. It could be useful in an advanced undergraduate or graduate course … . Businesses might find it useful as a source of ideas for new business Internet ventures. … Due to the various topics discussed, the book is best used as a research tool.” (J. Fendrich, ACM Computing Reviews, August, 2011) From the Back Cover This handbook, the first of its kind, is a detailed introduction to the numerous academic perspectives we can apply to the study of the internet as a political, social and communicative phenomenon. Covering both practical and theoretical angles, established researchers from around the world discuss everything: the foundations of internet research appear alongside chapters on understanding and analyzing current examples of online activities and artifacts. The material covers all continents and explores in depth subjects such as networked gaming, economics and the law. The sheer scope and breadth of topics examined in this volume, which ranges from on-line communities to e-science via digital aesthetics, are evidence that in today’s world, internet research is a vibrant and mature field in which practitioners have long since stopped considering the internet as either an utopian or dystopian "new" space, but instead approach it as a medium that has become an integral part of our everyday culture and a natural mode of communication.