Nørskov, Sladjana V., and Morten Rask. "Observation of online communities: A discussion of online and offline observer roles in studying development, cooperation and coordination in an open source software environment." Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research. Vol. 12. No. 3. 2011.

This paper delves into the nuances of applying observational methods to online settings, specifically within a virtual community context like an open source software (OSS) community. It contrasts observer roles in online and offline settings, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages. The study argues for the potential benefits of combining online and offline observation methods to leverage their complementary strengths. It also addresses quality concerns and proposes strategies for ensuring credible, detailed, and dependable observational data from online environments. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of deliberate methodological choices in selecting observer roles to enhance research quality and relevance.