The Scientific Research Potential of Virtual Worlds

by: William S Bainbridge

Science, Vol. 317, No. 5837. (27 July 2007), pp. 472-476.

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Abstract

Online virtual worlds, electronic environments where people can work and interact in a somewhat realistic manner, have great potential as sites for research in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, as well as in human-centered computer science. This article uses Second Life and World of Warcraft as two very different examples of current virtual worlds that foreshadow future developments, introducing a number of research methodologies that scientists are now exploring, including formal experimentation, observational ethnography, and quantitative analysis of economic markets or social networks. 10.1126/science.1146930

@article{citeulike:1507451, abstract = {Online virtual worlds, electronic environments where people can work and interact in a somewhat realistic manner, have great potential as sites for research in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, as well as in human-centered computer science. This article uses Second Life and World of Warcraft as two very different examples of current virtual worlds that foreshadow future developments, introducing a number of research methodologies that scientists are now exploring, including formal experimentation, observational ethnography, and quantitative analysis of economic markets or social networks. 10.1126/science.1146930}, author = {Bainbridge, William S. }, citeulike-article-id = {1507451}, doi = {10.1126/science.1146930}, journal = {Science}, keywords = {virtual-world}, month = {July}, number = {5837}, pages = {472--476}, posted-at = {2008-03-30 15:44:42}, priority = {2}, title = {The Scientific Research Potential of Virtual Worlds}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1146930}, volume = {317}, year = {2007} }

RIS record

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:1507451 L3 - citeulike-article-id:1507451 TI - The Scientific Research Potential of Virtual Worlds JF - Science VL - 317 IS - 5837 SP - 472 EP - 476 N2 - Online virtual worlds, electronic environments where people can work and interact in a somewhat realistic manner, have great potential as sites for research in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, as well as in human-centered computer science. This article uses Second Life and World of Warcraft as two very different examples of current virtual worlds that foreshadow future developments, introducing a number of research methodologies that scientists are now exploring, including formal experimentation, observational ethnography, and quantitative analysis of economic markets or social networks. 10.1126/science.1146930 KW - virtual-world AU - Bainbridge, William PY - 2007/07/27/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1146930 ER -

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