Virtual Communities – Real Readers: New Data in Empirical Studies of Literature

Abstract

The internet revolution brought about an increased interest in "virtual communities" of different kinds. Empirical studies of literature may benefit from the material produced by groups of literary readers exchanging their experiences via the internet. Materials bearing on literature found on the internet raise several questions about their validity and general importance for empirical studies. On the other hand, given easy access at relatively low cost and readers' spontaneity, such materials are highly attractive for the study of literary reception. This chapter discusses some of the methodological aspects of internet research, proposing some solutions based on a pilot study of the Polish book-recommendation system biblioNetka.pl.