Zusammenfassung

By presenting findings from research into British online youth culture conducted by the author, the chapter critically evaluates how to study adolescents’ use of the Internet and the ethical considerations facing the researcher. The methodologies applied include data collection with the help of Web server logs, online surveys, e-mail interviews, participant observation in online communities, as well as a “technobiography” of the author designing her own teenage website. Ethical problems discussed in the chapter deal with access to virtual sites of research, parental and informed consent, the role of the researcher, ownership of online data and issues of confidentiality.