Shadows in the Field: Chapter 6

Throughout this chapter, the ethnomusicologists examine the merits and risks of doing their fieldwork at home using modern technology.  Ultimately, they conclude that "doing fieldwork at home contributes to a more rounded ethnomusicology" (123).  This makes complete sense, as it allows you to avoid committing yourself geographically for an extended period of time, a commitment which is often influenced by factors other than pure scholarly curiosity.  However, this reading also made me think of a previous reading focused on keeping the dialogue between the ethnomusicologist and the culture they studied as transparent as possible.  The argument was that the influence of the ethnomusicologist on the encounter prevents the him/her from being able to legitimately call the experience authoritative and autonomous.  I began to wonder how technology would effect these ideals.  

Question: If, hypothetically, an ethnomusicologist did all of his/her research online, and did not contact the subject at all.  For all intensive purposes, he/she would be invisible.  How would this affect the ability of the ethnomusicologist to call their research autonomous?