Structure and Interaction Order in the Sociological Online Community

The study is aimed at investigating structure and interaction order in the professional sociological online communities. Based on content of the most numerous and famous Russian sociological online community, the analysis of communication structure, topics and interaction rules was conducted. The design of the study is based on a combination of wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods: online ethnography, content analysis, network analysis and topic modeling. It was found that the structure of the online community under study is similar to a typical virtual platform. The main position in it is occupied by passive participants (observers), while a small proportion of the most active participants sets the agenda for discussions. The analysis undertaken shows the lack of isolated groups within the online community, as well as professional and regional fragmentation. A link with the offline context was revealed in relation to the status hierarchy of participants and professional topics which largely correspond to the global trends of Russian and international sociology.