Methodological concerns in online translation community research: a reflexive netnography on translator's communal habitus. (4th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Sijing; Lu, Siwen
• Is Part Of: Perspectives. Volume 30:Number 4(2022)
• Page Start: 695
• Page End: 710
• Publication Date: 2022-07-04
• Subjects: Netnography -- self-reflexivity -- online translation community -- participant objectivation; Translating and interpreting -- Periodicals; 418.0205
• DOI: 10.1080/0907676X.2021.1913196
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0907-676X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article attempts to integrate Kozinets' netnography and Bourdieu's reflexive sociology as a promising methodology to study the communal habitus of online translation community Fixsub . We closely examine the methodological issues encountered and orientates to address the three interrelated questions: How should a researcher posit his/her scholarly position in an online translation community? How is a researcher–participant relationship built within the virtual settings? How does a researcher balance the traditional dichotomy between subjectivity and objectivity during his/her online participation? We conclude that an online translation community research requires the researcher to have an ongoing immersion within the fieldsite, as well as in a state of participant objectivation to assess his/her own positionality in relation to the object of research and negotiate the mutual shaping between a participant and researcher.