Researching Virtual Realities – Methodological and Conceptual Issues

The first decades of the century have seen profound transformations of societies through digital media.  One effect of these new means of contact is that virtual identity does not necessarily correspond to corporeal identity and can become divorced from it or deliberately masked.  An extreme manifestation is the creation of ‘virtual worlds’ populated by ‘avatars’, alternate online identities.  For many, the opportunity to take on an alternate identity in a ‘virtual world’ is its primary attraction.  Biological constraints, from being plain or unattractive through being too old or the wrong gender to having a physical handicap, can be transcended.  Arguably, moral constraints need not apply either.  While not ‘real’ in the physical sense, virtual worlds can be very real in their effects and are independently evolving societies.  They have economies that interact with economies in the ‘real world’ and it is possible to make a living or become rich in the real world through your activities in a virtual world.  Even in their present, rudimentary form, some persons prefer their virtual identities and lives to those in their ‘first lives’.  Driven by strong economic and technological imperatives, human/computer interfaces and virtual realities will become radically more immersive in the near future.  It is not hyperbole to speculate that this could have profound effects for what it means to be human and social in the 21^st century.  This paper will explore some of the myriad issues – ethical, methodological and practical - that arise from conducting research, particularly biographical research, in virtual worlds.