netnography

Netnography is a made-up word from Internet (Net) and ethnography. It stands for a research method with which the behavior of consumers is observed and qualitatively evaluated.

With netnography, the flow of communication in communities can be observed without the observer himself being involved, comparable to a lurker who observes discussions but does not become active himself.

The research method of netnography is an observational one, whose results are not produced by group members, but a neutral outsider.