I have supervised research studies in a number of ‘virtual ethnographies in recent years and for the most part they are not that different from traditional studies in traditional setting. Essentially it is the setting that has changed shape, not the process. That said, there are issues which relate specifically to the nature of the setting and need to be considered. The process essentially remains the same, but in a virtual environment there are unique features that need to be highlighted, and I would like to took at those I feel are the most significant. If you are planning to carry out research in a virtual environment I would strongly recommended that you read Christine Hine’s Virtual Ethnography (2000) as it provides invaluable insight into research in this setting. Virtual setting have some unique features: establishing the existence of a ‘community’, personal identity in a disembodied environment, and the nature of ‘truth’ in a transient reality.