Doing Research in and on the Digital

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book delivers on those two fronts by presenting examples of and reflection on how researchers across various fields are devising and applying innovative research methods when researching on and within the digital sphere and by discussing the ethical challenges and issues implied in such approaches. It aims to provide examples and reflections of digital methods to work on and within the digital. The book provides readers with examples that are useful across disciplines and which can be transferred and/or adapted to other fields of inquiry. It explores breast cancer bloggers' lived experiences of 'survivorship' and reflects on the ethical aspects of gaining access and analysing data available online. The book develops the capacity of researchers, in particular of post-graduate students and early career researchers to successfully design appropriate and innovative methodologies for working on and within the digital realm.