Field Research

[Kathryn Beaver]

Hello All!  I am an undergraduate student at the University of North Texas, and an Anthropology major (one day hoping to get my PhD in LingAnth).  I am currently taking a course on the Anthropology of Virtual Communication in which I must conduct fieldwork on a group using a form of virutal communication.  I have subscribed to this listserv for a while, and thought who better to observe and study than those I most wish to emulate.  However, I am not sure who to contact regarding the basic information I need to submit my initial proposal to my instructor (ie size of membership).  I am also enlisting your help in finding an appropriate means of obtaining consent to conduct my research.  I will be employing traditional Anthropological methodology such as participant observation and surveys/interviews.  I should say that most of my classmates are focused on the area of gaming, however I thought it would be much more beneficial to study those directly involved or interested in Anthropology.  The research will not start immediately, as I have yet to submit my application to the IRB, but will be initiated soon.  Any and all help will be happily accepted.  Thanks in advance for hearing me out!  Have a great day!

Kathryn Beaver

P.S. The instructor's name is Dr. Christina Wasson, in case anyone wishes to check the validity of the study.