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

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.

Obstacles and possibilities in archival research: archives as a data source for leisure scholars in lockdown

During the 2020/1 coronavirus pandemic, leisure scholars in lockdown have found their research activities restricted to desk-based strategies. In this situation, one possible strategy is the existing data found via archival research, a method that has received limited attention from leisure scholars to date. This paper explains archival research obstacles during a coronavirus induced lockdown whilst also showcasing the possibilities archive collections can offer. During the discussion, the potential that archival research has as an alternative data source for leisure studies becomes evident. This research note aims to showcase this potential and call on leisure scholars to engage with archives as a data source for future studies. It concludes by reflecting on why this engagement is important for leisure scholarship and potentially leisure scholars whose research and careers have been stymied during the ongoing pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Leisure Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)