TY - JOUR AB - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore in depth the special context and unique life experience of the online role-playing game and to provide insights regarding an interpretation of the situational context model.Design/methodology/approach This study uses netnography, online interviews, and the physical travel of researchers to the field for field participation and observations. The combination of netnography and online interviews combines online and offline studies to achieve more consistency in the data collection, analysis, and other processes. In-person participation in observations makes the research more realistic. The combination of these qualitative methods is helpful in achieving a more comprehensive and accurate research process.Findings The findings of the study can be classified into a three-stage situational context approach, which is presented in the form of propositions. Finally, the insight of the situational context model was developed.Research limitations/implications This study only focussed on office workers and students in online role-playing game. Therefore, the samples should be extended to other massively multiplayer online games, including different nationalities and professions for comparative analysis and related studies. Through the expansion of the sample size, a representative and stable cyber model can be established.Originality/value The theoretical contribution of this study is to establish an interpretation of the situational context model and eight related propositions. The study revealed the mystery of female online role-playing games. VL - 27 IS - 4 SN - 1066-2243 DO - 10.1108/IntR-04-2016-0111 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-04-2016-0111 AU - Wang Yi-Sheng AU - Lee Wei-Long AU - Hsu Tsuen-Ho PY - 2017 Y1 - 2017/01/01 TI - Using netnography for the study of role-playing in female online games: Interpretation of situational context model T2 - Internet Research PB - Emerald Publishing Limited SP - 905 EP - 923 Y2 - 2024/09/19 ER -