期刊名称：Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology
印刷版ISSN：1547-5840
电子版ISSN：1547-5867
出版年度：2008
卷号：5
页码：433-446
出版社：Informing Science Institute
摘要：Blogs are a new and intriguing form of communication and personal expression. Researchers are
only just beginning to realise the value that these media present as sources of data for research.
This paper begins to unveil the untapped potential that the blogosphere provides for research. The
paper begins by introducing blogs, explaining their evolution and the important role they play in
society.
A major contribution to knowledge comes from the paper’s analysis of the motivation behind
blogging – providing a framework of seven different motivational schemes. Building on this, the
paper explores why blogs are a valuable and reliable source of data for analysis. The paper illustrates
how blogs can be used for analysis, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of their
use. The paper concludes with a brief note on some of the ethical considerations of using blogs
for research.
关键词：Blogs, Blogosphere, Qualitative Research, Research Methods, Data Analysis.
