Participate in a Study About Genderswap Fanworks!
So I just signed up to participate in a study about people who read/write/record/create/view/perform genderswap fanworks (so that includes everything, from cosplay to art to vids to fic). I've never created any genderswap fanworks, but I've certainly consumed my fair share, and I have all the meta thoughts about them, so I signed up.
The researcher is an undergrad named Dianna doing a study for her Honor's thesis in sociology, and she's studying how fans create and perceive gender through their writing/reading/creating of genderswap fanworks. Cool, right? There are SO many interesting meta issues when it comes to genderswap/genderbend.
I waited until I had seen the researcher's consent forms and talked to her about ethics before I pimped this, because there's nothing worse than sketchy fan studies. Everything looks legit to me; details are below the cut.
Why You Should Think About Participating, Too!
1. Mostly, because more people doing legitimate, ethical studies of fans and fanworks is good for many reasons
- for us, because it gets the word out about fanworks being awesome. (More and more in the academy, I meet people who already know about fandom, and think it's great. That's because of scholarship like this.)
- for academia, because it gets our meta out there and shows people that public intellectualism doesn't only exist in the ivory tower or in NPR blogs
- for students like Dianna, because she gets to study something interesting and not have her adviser tell her it's bullshit! *raises a glass to Dianna's adviser*
2. Because it's only a 1 hour interview, either over Skype or just over chat, your choice.
3. Because you can pick a pseudonym and never have these thoughts connected to either your real name or fandom name in public. Dianna might see your real name, based on whether you decide to use it to sign the consent form. (But, er, no one will know if you don't.)
So, below you'll find the Call for Participation and the info from her Research Consent form. Important parts include that you have to be 18, a warning that Dianna might ask you about your gender and sexual identity, but also a line that says you can skip any question you don't want to answer.
You'll notice that neither of these forms say anything about IRB approval; that's because Dianna applied for approval and they declared her study "exempt." Exempt means that a study doesn't involve deceiving anyone, doesn't disrupt someone's life or involve intrusive procedures, and doesn't have more than a minimal risk to participants. (The IRB is the Institutional Review Board, which is the committee that approves all human subjects research at each university. They're the people that keep researchers from injecting people with poison just to see what happens. They're also the people who make sure researchers keep people's private information safe. In fanfictional terms, they're the mods who make sure you put all the warnings on your story.)
It's my opinion (and the opinion of a lot of internet researchers) that some of the IRBs are kind of behind the times when it comes to internet research, because they don't always take seriously the idea that writing that is technically "public" on the internet could also be pretty private. Really, every internet researcher should be doing exactly what Dianna is doing: having full consent forms, having the option for pseudonyms, destroying audio as soon as it's transcribed, etc. Here's what she told me about her study:
"I did apply for IRB approval, but I was exempt. Because I am an undergraduate the IRB approval is slightly different, but we are still asked to apply even if we know we will be exempt. A few days later they said I was approved. At this institution IRB is mostly worried about physical studies and the ramifications they might have. Interviews are slightly less worrisome, but I still made it clear that I would do everything in my power to protect confidentiality and prevent emotional damage. As an undergrad, my adviser is my main ethical sounding board."
And you'll see below that Dianna gives you her adviser's email address, so that you direct any concerns you have to her. (I'll also say that if you should ever have any problems with a researcher, you can also contact their department head or the head of the division of research or the IRB at their university. Or hey, ping me. I'll do it for you. Unethical researchers make me angry.)
tl;dr - Info is below. I left off the actual "pick your pseudonym or not" and "sign electronically here" parts. Email Dianna at dfielding01@hamlineuniversity.edu if you wanna participate.
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: GENDERSWAP FANFICTON AUTHORS
INTERESTED IN SPEAKING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES IN THE FANFICTION
COMMUNITY
You are invited to participate in a study on fanfiction authors who write or read genderswap
fanfiction. This study is being conducted by Dianna Fielding; Sociology major at Hamline
University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Background Information:
The purpose of this study is to gain information on how genderswap authors and readers create
and perceive gender through their writing. The research is conducting this study as part of her
Honor’s Thesis in Sociology at Hamline University. To be eligible for participation you must be
18 years or older and write or read genderswap fanfiction now or in the past.
Procedures:
If you agree to be in this study you will be asked to take part in a one hour interview with
Ms. Fielding. Interviews may be conducted over Skype or through instant messaging at
your discretion. Ms. Fielding will inquire about your history with genderswap fanfiction and
fanfiction in general focusing on how these genres have shaped ideas of gender and sexuality.
You have the choice to allow Ms. Fielding to audiotape this interview for transcription purposes
only.
Confidentiality:
1) If the interview is taped, it will be erased immediately after it is transcribed. No one other than
Ms. Fielding will have access to these tapes. 2) Written documentation with your name will not
be kept. 3) Written material from this research will conceal your identity. Pseudonyms will be
used at your request.
Voluntary Nature of the Study:
Your decision whether or not to participate in this study will not affect your current or future
relations with Hamline University or with any other organization. If you decide to participate,
you are free to skip any questions which you find uncomfortable or withdraw at any time without
affecting those relationships.
Contacts and Questions:
Thank you for taking the time to read this announcement! If you are interested in
participating, or if you have any questions, please contact Dianna Fielding by email
at dfielding01@hamlineuniversity.edu or by U.S. mail Dianna Fielding, Hamline
University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, St. Paul MN 55104, MS 1160. If you would like to speak
with Ms. Fielding’s Honor’s Thesis advisor, please contact Professor Sharon Preves at
spreves@hamline.edu
Research Consent Form
All information on this consent form will be treated strictly confidentially and seen solely by
Dianna Fielding.
You are invited to be in a research study of adults who write or read genderswap fanfiction.
Please read this from and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to participate in the
study.
This study is being conducted by: Dianna Fielding; Sociology major at Hamline University.
Background Information:
The purpose of this study is to gain information on how genderswap authors and readers create
and perceive gender through their writing. The researcher is conducting this study as part of her
Honor’s Thesis in Sociology at Hamline University.
Procedures:
If you agree to this study, you will be asked to:
1) Take part in a one hour interview about your personal experiences with genderswap fanfiction
either,
a) Over an internet webcam service, such as Skype, or
b) Over an internet instant messaging service, or
c) In person if locality permits
You have to choose to allow Ms. Fielding to audiotape this interview for transcription purposes.
Potential Risks of Being in the Study:
1) This interview may address several issues related to sexual and gender identity and
development of these identities; discussion of these topics could be unsettling to some
participants.
Potential Benefits of Being in the Study:
1) Sharing your personal experiences of writing and reading genderwap fanfiction with a
researcher interested in gaining information on genderswap authors and readers may be an
affirming experience.
Confidentiality:
1) If the interview is taped, it will be erased immediately after it is transcribed. No one other than
Ms. Fielding will have access to these tapes.
2) Written documentation with your name will not be kept.
3) Written material from this research will conceal your identity. Pseudonyms will be used at
your request.
Contacts and Questions:
If you have any questions please contact Dianna Fielding by email at
dfielding01@hamlineuniversity.edu or by U.S. mail Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt
Avenue, St. Paul MN 55104, MS 1160. If you would like to speak with Ms. Fielding’s Honor’s Thesis advisor, please contact Professor Sharon Preves at spreves@hamline.edu .
The researcher is an undergrad named Dianna doing a study for her Honor's thesis in sociology, and she's studying how fans create and perceive gender through their writing/reading/creating of genderswap fanworks. Cool, right? There are SO many interesting meta issues when it comes to genderswap/genderbend.
I waited until I had seen the researcher's consent forms and talked to her about ethics before I pimped this, because there's nothing worse than sketchy fan studies. Everything looks legit to me; details are below the cut.
Why You Should Think About Participating, Too!
1. Mostly, because more people doing legitimate, ethical studies of fans and fanworks is good for many reasons
- for us, because it gets the word out about fanworks being awesome. (More and more in the academy, I meet people who already know about fandom, and think it's great. That's because of scholarship like this.)
- for academia, because it gets our meta out there and shows people that public intellectualism doesn't only exist in the ivory tower or in NPR blogs
- for students like Dianna, because she gets to study something interesting and not have her adviser tell her it's bullshit! *raises a glass to Dianna's adviser*
2. Because it's only a 1 hour interview, either over Skype or just over chat, your choice.
3. Because you can pick a pseudonym and never have these thoughts connected to either your real name or fandom name in public. Dianna might see your real name, based on whether you decide to use it to sign the consent form. (But, er, no one will know if you don't.)
So, below you'll find the Call for Participation and the info from her Research Consent form. Important parts include that you have to be 18, a warning that Dianna might ask you about your gender and sexual identity, but also a line that says you can skip any question you don't want to answer.
You'll notice that neither of these forms say anything about IRB approval; that's because Dianna applied for approval and they declared her study "exempt." Exempt means that a study doesn't involve deceiving anyone, doesn't disrupt someone's life or involve intrusive procedures, and doesn't have more than a minimal risk to participants. (The IRB is the Institutional Review Board, which is the committee that approves all human subjects research at each university. They're the people that keep researchers from injecting people with poison just to see what happens. They're also the people who make sure researchers keep people's private information safe. In fanfictional terms, they're the mods who make sure you put all the warnings on your story.)
It's my opinion (and the opinion of a lot of internet researchers) that some of the IRBs are kind of behind the times when it comes to internet research, because they don't always take seriously the idea that writing that is technically "public" on the internet could also be pretty private. Really, every internet researcher should be doing exactly what Dianna is doing: having full consent forms, having the option for pseudonyms, destroying audio as soon as it's transcribed, etc. Here's what she told me about her study:
"I did apply for IRB approval, but I was exempt. Because I am an undergraduate the IRB approval is slightly different, but we are still asked to apply even if we know we will be exempt. A few days later they said I was approved. At this institution IRB is mostly worried about physical studies and the ramifications they might have. Interviews are slightly less worrisome, but I still made it clear that I would do everything in my power to protect confidentiality and prevent emotional damage. As an undergrad, my adviser is my main ethical sounding board."
And you'll see below that Dianna gives you her adviser's email address, so that you direct any concerns you have to her. (I'll also say that if you should ever have any problems with a researcher, you can also contact their department head or the head of the division of research or the IRB at their university. Or hey, ping me. I'll do it for you. Unethical researchers make me angry.)
tl;dr - Info is below. I left off the actual "pick your pseudonym or not" and "sign electronically here" parts. Email Dianna at dfielding01@hamlineuniversity.edu if you wanna participate.
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: GENDERSWAP FANFICTON AUTHORS
INTERESTED IN SPEAKING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES IN THE FANFICTION
COMMUNITY
You are invited to participate in a study on fanfiction authors who write or read genderswap
fanfiction. This study is being conducted by Dianna Fielding; Sociology major at Hamline
University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Background Information:
The purpose of this study is to gain information on how genderswap authors and readers create
and perceive gender through their writing. The research is conducting this study as part of her
Honor’s Thesis in Sociology at Hamline University. To be eligible for participation you must be
18 years or older and write or read genderswap fanfiction now or in the past.
Procedures:
If you agree to be in this study you will be asked to take part in a one hour interview with
Ms. Fielding. Interviews may be conducted over Skype or through instant messaging at
your discretion. Ms. Fielding will inquire about your history with genderswap fanfiction and
fanfiction in general focusing on how these genres have shaped ideas of gender and sexuality.
You have the choice to allow Ms. Fielding to audiotape this interview for transcription purposes
only.
Confidentiality:
1) If the interview is taped, it will be erased immediately after it is transcribed. No one other than
Ms. Fielding will have access to these tapes. 2) Written documentation with your name will not
be kept. 3) Written material from this research will conceal your identity. Pseudonyms will be
used at your request.
Voluntary Nature of the Study:
Your decision whether or not to participate in this study will not affect your current or future
relations with Hamline University or with any other organization. If you decide to participate,
you are free to skip any questions which you find uncomfortable or withdraw at any time without
affecting those relationships.
Contacts and Questions:
Thank you for taking the time to read this announcement! If you are interested in
participating, or if you have any questions, please contact Dianna Fielding by email
at dfielding01@hamlineuniversity.edu or by U.S. mail Dianna Fielding, Hamline
University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, St. Paul MN 55104, MS 1160. If you would like to speak
with Ms. Fielding’s Honor’s Thesis advisor, please contact Professor Sharon Preves at
spreves@hamline.edu
Research Consent Form
All information on this consent form will be treated strictly confidentially and seen solely by
Dianna Fielding.
You are invited to be in a research study of adults who write or read genderswap fanfiction.
Please read this from and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to participate in the
study.
This study is being conducted by: Dianna Fielding; Sociology major at Hamline University.
Background Information:
The purpose of this study is to gain information on how genderswap authors and readers create
and perceive gender through their writing. The researcher is conducting this study as part of her
Honor’s Thesis in Sociology at Hamline University.
Procedures:
If you agree to this study, you will be asked to:
1) Take part in a one hour interview about your personal experiences with genderswap fanfiction
either,
a) Over an internet webcam service, such as Skype, or
b) Over an internet instant messaging service, or
c) In person if locality permits
You have to choose to allow Ms. Fielding to audiotape this interview for transcription purposes.
Potential Risks of Being in the Study:
1) This interview may address several issues related to sexual and gender identity and
development of these identities; discussion of these topics could be unsettling to some
participants.
Potential Benefits of Being in the Study:
1) Sharing your personal experiences of writing and reading genderwap fanfiction with a
researcher interested in gaining information on genderswap authors and readers may be an
affirming experience.
Confidentiality:
1) If the interview is taped, it will be erased immediately after it is transcribed. No one other than
Ms. Fielding will have access to these tapes.
2) Written documentation with your name will not be kept.
3) Written material from this research will conceal your identity. Pseudonyms will be used at
your request.
Contacts and Questions:
If you have any questions please contact Dianna Fielding by email at
dfielding01@hamlineuniversity.edu or by U.S. mail Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt
Avenue, St. Paul MN 55104, MS 1160. If you would like to speak with Ms. Fielding’s Honor’s Thesis advisor, please contact Professor Sharon Preves at spreves@hamline.edu .