Systematic Assessment of Organizational Digital Narratives via Websites: A Case Illustration in Higher Education Settings

• In Event: 49.088 - Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: 49.088-17 - New Directions for Research in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Researchers recognize websites as valuable points of access to unique narratives that provide intriguing material for research analysis. While many researchers use websites, little assistance is provided on how to navigate website research. This paper outlines the challenges of website research, and offers a field-tested, systematic procedure for web-based data collection. Several techniques are incorporated in the method that allow for enhancing trustworthiness, developing audit trails, journaling and reflection, and peer review. This paper represents a first formal presentation of a process for engaging systematic web scan procedures and uses examples from a large national study that included nearly 1000 university websites.

Authors

• Staci J. Provezis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Julia Panke Makela, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Natasha Alexis Jankowski, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign