Netnography and volunteer tourism: Critical reflections on conducting online research during a global pandemic

Polus, Reni; Carr, Neil

Abstract

COVID-19 curtailed a significant amount of research in the field, forcing social scientists to consider the future of fieldwork. Netnography seems to offer a covid-resistant alternative to traditional fieldwork methods. This paper expands knowledge of the netnographic approach, focusing on a study of spirituality in international volunteer tourists' experiences. It explores the potential of netnography as a research tool within the context of ongoing concerns around the viability and sustainability of physically travelling to collect data. As such, this paper presents a critical, reflective analysis of the main author's experience in conducting netnographic research during the pandemic, presenting the challenges and limitations, as well as the benefits of the method.

Citation

Polus, R., & Carr, N. (2023). Netnography and volunteer tourism: Critical reflections on conducting online research during a global pandemic. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 56, 42-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.05.022

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 26, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 14, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-09
• Deposit Date: Apr 25, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Print ISSN: 1447-6770
• Electronic ISSN: 1839-5260
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 56
• Pages: 42-45
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.05.022
• Keywords: Netnography, Volunteer tourism, COVID-19, Spirituality, Critical reflections, Traditional ethnography
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/3529457