Abstract

This paper discusses how the web is used to publish research projects by examining web data in a case selection process. The difficulty in identifying a case in a qualitative research studying technology use in research, to some extent, illustrates that there is little information available online about research studies that were conducted in a world-class university. Although the web as well as its associated network technologies has been widely used for all kinds of social activities, the use of web to publish research studies are to some extent limited. As technology is not yet a driving force of our research in academia, the web has perhaps not been used for creating the online presence of research work as fully as appears to be frequently assumed in the literature. The traditional approach to studying the web has been in itself somewhat technology driven. It is the technology deterministic approach that leads to findings, such as technology has revolutionised the whole research world. Instead of following the hyperbole that has commonly described the growth of advanced technology itself in many existing research studies, this paper argues that social studies of the actual use of technology in research, taking a real-world approach, are now, more than ever, at a premium.