Editorial: Theories, methods, practices, and fields of digital social research

he digital nuances of contemporary societies are becoming thicker and thicker as technology is progressively pervading every aspect of our social life; just think of the way in which many, if not most, social actions and social relationships, both formal and informal, are mediated and experienced through digital devices. This occurrence has an impact on the very concept of digital social research, which, according to some authors, might even be a redundant expression. In fact, as Pink (2019) wittily pointed out, because the digital, social, and material aspects of our worlds are now inextricably linked, social research is currently almost always digital in both its subject matter and methodology, as our research strategies and interactions are, even if only indirectly, connected to digital platforms, and practices. Obviously, the theoretical question of new social formations, phenomena, and practices arising through internet access is different and separated from the question of methods to carry out social research using ICT (Information and communication technology). However, these two themes co-occur and need to converge in the recognition of the digital not only as a topic of social research but especially as a way of transforming social research both in terms of topics and in terms of methods.