A comprehensive overview of the field, Internet Studies considers key issues of social importance that the study of the Internet draws upon, such as the role of the Internet in civic participation and democratisation, the development of virtual communities, digital divides and social inequality, as well as Internet governance and policy control.

Table of Contents

• 1 Introduction: Moving from Mass Media to Internet Studies?
• 2 Writing the Histories of the Internet and of its Study: Certainties and Enigmas
• 3 Theorising the Internet: Crafting an Internet Theory
• 4 Studying the Role of the Internet in a Real-Life Context: Opportunities versus Risks
• 5 Research and the Internet: Fast-Growing Internet Research
• 6 Conclusion: The Unexpected Future of the Internet and its Study
• Bibliography