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Purpose This paper aims to introduce key concepts from practice theory (PT) to the social change agenda and draw on the unique contributions of the social marketing field. PT has underpinned a growing stream of research in pro-environmental studies seeking to reduce impacts of particular behaviours, but it remains theoretical. By drawing on social marketing’s applied roots, this paper introduces a practice-theoretical intervention planning process (P-TIPP) which frames the unique contribution of social marketing in behaviour change and foregrounds practice- not individual-level change. Design/methodology/approach The P-TIPP draws on the total process planning model, introducing the concept of “practice as entity” and “practice as performance” to frame intervention planning tasks. The process locates the contribution of social marketing within a transdisciplinary framework which emphasises transforming collective conventions. Findings This is a conceptual paper, but the possibility for PT to make a significant contribution to the world of social marketing is outlined. Research limitations/implications P-TIPP is untested. Also, practices can be difficult to identify and somewhat abstract. Finally, it can be challenging to introduce the approach to policy, funding and practitioner procedures. Practical implications The implications of P-TIPP are that social change interventions are devised, underpinned and planned using insights from PT, such as the way behavioural patterns fit into broader understandings of practice. The subsequent social change agenda will be inherently transdisciplinary, sustainable and reduce focus on individual power to change. Originality/value This paper is a first attempt at exploring what PT, and social marketing can learn from each other for the future effectiveness of social change activity.

One of the dangers of writing about innovative digital research is that, by definition, the field is subject to ongoing transformations. The pace of technological change is such that both digital social life and digital tools will have developed since the research reported in this collection was conducted. As noted in the introduction to Part III, this is further complicated when we consider some of the debates concerning exactly what is meant by ‘methodological innovation’. Wiles et al. (2013, p. 19) note that while some authors reserve the term for new methodologies, others such as Taylor and Coffey (2008) also consider extensions to existing methods as innovative. Moreover, questions arise as to whether these developments are innovative if they remain on the margins, or whether this occurs only when they have been more widely adopted (Wiles et al., 2013, p. 19). We have taken a broad approach to innovation by considering how the ‘mainstream’ — by which we mean established social science research — is being supplemented and extended by digital methods. As such, this collection has focused on two core points of innovation: the existing social science methodological repertoire and the conceptual mainstream or established social science issues and concerns.

This book explores exciting innovations in the field of digital social research. The growing significance of ‘the digital’ for contemporary social life is undeniable; nevertheless digital methods have yet to be fully accepted into mainstream social science. By presenting a range of work by social scientists from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, it is our aim to highlight digital methods as a valuable and increasingly integral part of the social research toolkit. They offer the chance to access, generate and analyse new kinds of data on the social world in novel ways and address new research questions, as well as providing different approaches to long-standing questions. In this collection, we define digital methods as the use of online and digital technologies to collect and analyse research data. Our concern is not only with research that explores online phenomena, but also with a broader interest in utilizing digital methods to engage with all aspects of contemporary social life.