The Scientific Research Potential of Virtual Worlds
Top Cited Papers
- 27 July 2007
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 317 (5837) , 472-476
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1146930
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.Keywords
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