Communications associate professor Michelle Ferrier has co-authored a refereed chapter in the book “Virtual Work and Human Interaction Research,” edited by Shawn Long of UNC-Charlotte and published by IGI Global in April 2012.
According to the book description, the book authors use humanistic and social scientific inquiry from interdisciplinary and international perspectives to explore how individuals engage in the new virtual work paradigm.
The chapter, “Virtual Vines: Using Participatory Methods to Connect Virtual Work with Community-Based Practice,” explores the surprising relationship between participatory research methods, community-focused practices, and virtual work, particularly around local food systems. The chapter offers a number of different conceptual and methodological approaches to participatory and community-based research, according to the IGI Global website.
Ferrier co-authored the chapter with two researchers from Greensboro, N.C.: Marianne LeGreco of UNC-Greensboro and Dawn Leonard, formerly of Urban Harvest.
Ferrier is the founder and publisher of LocallyGrownNews.com, an online community for those interested in local food and local food policy. Her research examines online communities and social media networks for informing and engaging online audiences.