SIMA-SIM-BAM School of Research Methods – Summer Edition 2026

From 8 to 10 June 2026, the SIMA–SIM–BAM School of Research Methods – Summer Edition 2026 was held in Florence at the Hilton Garden Inn Florence Novoli. The School was jointly organized by the Italian Society of Management (SIMA), the Italian Marketing Society (SIM), the British Academy of Management (BAM), and the Association for Netnographic Research. This year's theme, "Netnography: Qualitative Digital Research in an Age of AI," focused on the opportunities and challenges of conducting qualitative digital research in the era of artificial intelligence.

The School offered an intensive training programme for PhD students, early-career researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and academics interested in qualitative research methods. Throughout the three-day programme, participants explored netnography not simply as a technique for collecting social media data, but as a rigorous qualitative methodology for understanding the cultures, communities, practices, and meanings that emerge within digital environments.

Through lectures, workshops, and collaborative group activities, participants examined the key stages of the netnographic research process, including the formulation of research questions, immersion in digital field settings, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of online traces, the role of researcher positionality and reflexivity, and the effective communication of research findings. Particular attention was also devoted to the interplay between human intelligence, digital tools, and artificial intelligence in the production of scholarly knowledge.

The School also provided participants with the opportunity to discuss and refine their own research projects through group work and personalized feedback from an outstanding international faculty. This highly interactive learning environment fostered active engagement, allowing theory, methodology, and research practice to be continuously integrated. In this respect, the 2026 Summer School once again confirmed the value of the SIMA–SIM–BAM Schools of Research Methods as an important forum for learning, collaboration, and professional development for the next generation of management and marketing scholars.

The academic excellence of the School was ensured by an outstanding international faculty comprising Robert Kozinets (University of Southern California), the founder of netnography, Ulrike Gretzel (University of Southern California), and Rossella Gambetti (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore).

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the faculty members for their expertise, dedication, and enthusiasm in guiding participants through such an intellectually stimulating learning experience. We also warmly thank all participants, whose curiosity, commitment, and critical engagement greatly contributed to the success of the School.

Finally, we wish to thank the Italian Society of Management (SIMA), the Italian Marketing Society (SIM), and the British Academy of Management (BAM) for their continued commitment to promoting high-quality methodological training and supporting the development of future generations of scholars.

Rossella Gambetti – Director SIMA-SIM School of Research Methods Director, SIMA-SIM School of Research Methods

Maurizio La Rocca - CoDirector SIMA-SIM School of Research Methods  – Condirettore SIMA-SIM School of Research Methods

Matilde Milanesi - CoDirector SIMA-SIM School of Research Methods – Condirettrice SIMA-SIM School of Research Methods