The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Photo of Marina Svensson

Marina Svensson

Professor

Photo of Marina Svensson

The Networked China Researcher

Author

  • Marina Svensson

Summary, in English

The internet has opened up new possibilities for scholars to gather data and, in general, to stay updated on rapidly changing developments in the Chinese society. Social media has added yet another dimension as it enables researchers to follow events and public debates as they unfold as well as facilitate engagement and interactivity with informants and other contacts. This article is based on the author's own experiences and discusses the possibilities and challenges of using Chinese social media platforms. It calls for an explicit reflexivity on rapidly changing technologies. The article also addresses the fact that the researcher leaves many digital footprints on the internet and social media, and the advantages and possible dangers in an authoritarian society such as China. The article is written as a reflection piece and a call for more open and systematic discussions on how digital technologies change research practices in and on China.

Department/s

  • Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University

Publishing year

2017-02-23

Language

English

Pages

76-102

Publication/Series

Asiascape: Digital Asia

Volume

4

Issue

1-2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Brill

Topic

  • Media Studies

Keywords

  • China
  • digital ethnography
  • digital footprints
  • ethics
  • social media
  • surveillance
  • WeChat
  • weibo

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2214-2304