Paper short abstract:

The paper explores the methodology applicable in the frames of an Internet-based anthropological research, as well as digital opportunities in complementing traditional field research.

Paper long abstract:

The purpose of the paper is twofold: to demonstrate in what ways a researcher in Anthropology can benefit from the sharing practices at the Global Agora and to overview the methods of studying 'digital aborigines' in their habitat. Thus, both contact and noncontact methods of 'dragging' data with the Net are examined.

The former comprise a variety of tools: from bilateral exchange with distanced informants to issue-specific crowd-sourcing.

The latter represent traditional observation and immersion techniques transformed to meet the requirements of the new research environment. A few decades ago humans started living digital lives within the Internet space, producing and disseminating new practices, language, and a peculiar folklore. From a student's perspective, social reboundering occurring (to a large extent via social networks) in the 'no-locus' of the Internet is of major interest because of the analytical opportunities it offers.

Being an anthropologist's duty, studying the digital manifestation of our civilization is to be grounded on a viable and comprehensive data gathering and interpretation methodology.

Hence, the paper includes an insight from the experience of combing a professional digital marketer's techniques with the anthropological research scope. It touches upon the matters of the anonymity/ emphatic identity manifestation of the informant, the border condition of the researcher, and the reliability of data collected.