摘要：The development of the internet and growth of the number of users of this technology have shaped the beginning of the twenty-first century. Over the last decade, online games and social platforms have become very popular and have contributed to the emergence of new forms of communication. The augment of the number of internet users ‘inhabiting’ virtual worlds reinforces the need to understand the role played by these platforms within media practices, and for contemporary social interaction. It is necessary to research them, and to understand how users are appropriating these digital landscapes. The research methodologies for the study of virtual worlds are a central aspect to take into account. Since the emergence of the first virtual communities, researchers from all over the world have been investigating these spaces from several points of view. One of the challenges they have to exceed is the methodological one. Aiming at contributing to the discussion on the need for innovative methodologies adequate for the research of contemporary ‘mediascapes’, this chapter focus on the use of a specific qualitative methodology – netnography, for the study of a particular virtual world – Second Life. The method is discussed both from a theoretical and empirical point of view.
关键词：Internet; virtual worlds; netnography; Second Life
