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Cited by 163Focus Groups and Qualitative MethodsData Analysis and ArchivingQualitative Research Methods and Ethics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 32 of the 33 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Uncovering longitudinal life narratives: scrolling back on Facebook

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Robards, Brady, Lincoln, Siân·2017·Qualitative Research
DOI 10.1177/1468794117700707
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Abstract

This article explores the potential role of sustained social media use in longitudinal qualitative research. We introduce the research design and methodology of a research project exploring sustained use (five or more years) of the social network site Facebook among young people in their twenties. By focusing on this group, we seek to uncover how ‘growing up’ stories are told and archived online, and how disclosure practices (what people say and share on social media) change over time. We question how we can understand the ‘digital trace’ inscribed through the Facebook Timeline as a longitudinal narrative text. We argue that ‘scrolling back’ through Facebook with participants as ‘co-analysts’ of their own digital traces can add to the qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) tradition. QLR and the scroll back method attend to a similar set of concerns around change over time, the depth of inquiry, and uncovering rigorous, rich life narratives. We explore limitations (especially around intentionality) and ethical challenges, while also arguing for the inclusion of these often highly personal, deep, co-constructed digital texts in qualitative longitudinal research. We also consider how the scroll back method could apply to other digital media, as the sites and applications that people use diversifies and changes over time.

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. boyd d, 2011, A Networked Self, 39
  2. Cannarella J, Spechler JA (2014) Epidemiological modeling of online social network dynamics. arXiv. Available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/1401.4208. · arXiv
  3. Gehl RW, 2014, Reverse Engineering Social Media
  4. Lincoln S, 2016, Journal of Youth Studies, 20, 518
  5. Miller D, 2011, Tales from Facebook

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Metadata

Authors
Robards, B., & Lincoln, S.
Affiliations
  • Monash University (AU)
  • Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
Corresponding author
Robards, Brady
ORCID
Venue
Qualitative Research
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2017-04-17
Volume
17
Issue
6
Pages
715-730
ISSN
  • 1468-7941 (ISSN-L)
  • 1741-3109
DOI
10.1177/1468794117700707
OpenAlex
W2605885774
Cited by
163
References
33
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 2
FWCI
21.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Qualitative Research (publishedVersion)
  • Liverpool John Moores University (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Data Analysis and Archiving
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
Keywords
Facebook, qualitative longitudinal research, digital traces, life stories, disclosure practices, youth, coming of age, co-analysis, research ethics, social media use

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