This article discusses the application of a phenomenological framework to inform research in computer game worlds like massively multiplayer online games. Based on the phenomenological sociology of Alfred Schutz, this article examines some of the key problems facing researchers in online spaces, such as the absence of the corporeal ''Other.'' In discussing these issues using the vocabulary of Schutz's phenomenology, this article attempts to clarify some key concepts to contribute to a useful framework for conducting social research in computer game worlds. This article examines how the transcendent nature of online social experiences in game environments like World of Warcraft contribute to a distinct context of meaning. An understanding of the ways in which social game worlds can be constituted as sites of unique experience may be useful for researchers wishing to examine these spaces from ethnographic or similar perspectives.

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A network ethnography methodology was developed to understand and explain the influence of social capital on social network structures. This approach was applied to an inter-organizational technology cooperation group to identify causes of low group participation and engagement and opportunities to increase those factors. A cluster of key actors at the core of the group was found to hold the majority of the social capital, which is viewed as both a current constraint and a future opportunity. The methodology is evaluated with a view continuing its development.