Screen capture

Abstract This chapter discusses screen capture (i.e., the recording of users’ on-screen activities) as a data collection method in online-based research in applied linguistics. After providing background information on the research contexts in which both still image and video screen captures have been used, we offer an overview of the types of phenomena previously studied through analyses of screen captures, the implementation of this data collection method in existing research, and the most commonly adopted analytical approaches (e.g., conversation analysis, thematic coding). Afterwards, we showcase exemplary empirical research using screen captures, including studies exploring digital discourse or written/oral interactions in non-educational virtual locales (e.g., social media, messaging apps) as well as within computer-assisted language learning settings. Following a discussion of the ethical issues and challenges associated with this data collection method, we propose future research directions (e.g., human-AI interaction, linguistic practices, and communication in virtual realities).