[Air-l] Chat Room Study

Hi all, A PhD student is doing research into Enjo Kousai or teenage prostitution in Japan. Her primary source of personal information is chat room archives. Our review board has said that we can do a study of the chat room but "The research can only be about chat room discourse and not about how Japanese teenagers behave" Can tentative 'conclusions' be drawn about attitudes and behaviours from online conversation? Does anyone know of published work along these lines? Cheers, Marj Dr Marjorie Kibby, Senior Lecturer in Communication & Culture The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604