My name is Constance Steinkuehler (although you may know me as one of my online avatars – Adeleide or Jezabelle) and I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. My research group here at the University is investigating massively multiplayer online videogame (MMO) play. Our previous research indicates that such games involve sophisticated forms of thinking and learning; we are currently conducting research in order to substantiate this claim. Care to participate? If you agree to participate, either myself or one of my research assistants would interview you about various aspects of the MMOG you play. We conduct the interviews in whatever way you are most comfortable with – email, instant messaging (IM), voice over IP (e.g. TeamSpeak), or telephone. The interviews usually last about one hour and when/how we contact you would be entirely up by you. All interviews are for the sole purposes of academic research and are entirely confidential – no real-world names (or avatar names, for that matter) are ever used, all conversations are conducted privately, and all transcripts and/or related documents are stored in a research office under lock & key. If you would like to particiate or have questions about our research project, please email me at steinkuehler@wisc.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions Will you use my real name publicly? Are there any risks? Will you use my real name publicly? No. We never ever use participants' real names or other information that might identify who they are in any way, under any circumstances. We replace names with pseudonyms (one you can choose yourself if you like) and remove all identifying information within any and all research documents, public or private. Will you use my avatar's name publicly? Not unless you specifically request it. MMOGs are normally played with self-named avatars bearing no discernable individual identification, and correspondences such as email and online discussion are often conducted in the names of such avatars as well. However, to remove even the unlikely possibility that your avatar name might somehow be traced back to your real life identity, we don't normally like to use them either. Unless you specifically request differently, we replace your avatar name with a pseudonym (again, of you can choose a different name yourself if you like), just like we do your real name. Yes. Any and all interviews and online discussion (such as email or IM chats) are conducted in a private research setting. Any data we gather from you will be stored in a locked cabinet in a locked office that only we can access. Confidentiality is very important to us. We protect it at all times, throughout all data collection and analysis, and in all research reports. Yes, but only if you give us permission to. We like to record interviews so that your comments on the game can be more accurately documented. Taking complete notes is difficult when you are trying to carry on a conversation on the phone or online chat. Although recording is not required at all, we prefer it because it allows the interviewer to focus on what you have to say instead of scribbling things down. Is there paperwork I have to do or something? You will need to download a consent form, sign it, and mail it back to us at our office (email me if you'd rather I snail mail you a copy). Before you can participate in our research, we want to make sure that you understand what the research is about, what your part in it would be, and what your rights are (that you can quit at any time and can review any research reports we write). The consent form is simply the best way for us to ensure this. Im under 18 – do I need my parent's permission? If you are under the age of 18, we need permission from both you (your assent form) and your parents (a parental consent form). If you are under age, we want your parents to be aware of your participation and comfortable with it from the very beginning. Also, we're always happy to answer any questions from you or your parents at any time – just email or telephone. Can I agree to an interview but not online correspondence (or vice versa)? Absolutely! You choose the extent to which you want to be involved. Consent for each type of data collection is itemized on the consent form so that you can agree to participate in whichever way you're comfortable. Volunteering to being interviewed does not necessarily entail volunteering to having us use your online correspondences with us as research data or vice versa. What if I agree but then change my mind? No problem. Participation in this research is completely voluntary and you can quit at any time. If you agree but then decide against it later, we will immediately cease all research activities in which you're involved and will destroy all data related to your participation should you request it. No. There are no foreseeable risks involved in participating in this research. It goes without saying that we would immediately stop all research efforts and seek help from a family member or professional should we feel you are in any danger of any kind. We like to think so! First, interviews can serve not only as a means for our own research but also as a vehicle for greater understanding of and reflection on videogames and videogame play. It has been our experience that people who play videogames with avid interest enjoy talking about them. Second and more broadly, we are working to increase understanding of the learning, cognition, and social interaction that is involved in MMOGaming, so the findings from this work will, we hope, lead to better understanding of such games and the kinds of activities they foster. People who participate in our research are normally regular gamers – they are members of the very population for whom greater understanding of gaming and gaming culture should most profit. What do you guys do with this research? We are academics in the field of Education, so we use this research as the basis of academic journal articles, book chapters, and conference presentations to scholarly communities interested in cognition, linguistics, online social interaction, videogames, and education. Do I get to read what you write? Sure! I post all of my publications here on my website (see the section on MMO research). Moreover, we will gladly show you any potential publications using your data at any time, and if you object in any way to the use we have made of your data, we will remove anything from the research report that you request. Is this project approved by any institutions? Yes. It is approved by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education Human Subject Office (the ethical review board here at UW) and is partially funded by the Academic ADL Co-Lab.
Last updated: 19 September 07 |
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