My name is Jonathan McKittrick/ Lando Dragonash.I am an undergraduate student enrolled in an introduction to research methods class (Multimedia 333:Introcution to Field Research In Virtual Worlds) at Bradley University in Peoria Il, USA, that is being conducted in Second Life fall term, 2007.
We are learning to do field research/ethnography and will not complete projects this term. But next semester, if we decide to do a project, our projects feature observation of a “community of practice,” that is, a group of people doing similar things in a cultural setting. I am observing this area at this time as I consider what work I might do next term.
My observations are merely descriptive: I’ll take notes about what I see and I may summarize those notes in my paper, in class presentations to my classmates, or on my web-blog about this research. The blog is found at:
I will not record or publish either the SL or RL name of any avatar/person. Any observations about avatars or recording of their talk transcripts would take place only after having obtained the explicit permission of that avatar/person and would only happen after the name of the avatar had been changed via secret coding scheme. I will ask you if I can have your permission to observe you in general. Any pictures taken in SL, that serve as explanatory data and which might include avatars, will be modified so that avatar names and identifying characteristics are blurred/blocked.
We will also interview informants about the communities of practice that we are studying. These conversations are, again, voluntary and only with the informed permission of the avatar/person/informant. I may copy out the chat transcript from our conversations/interviews. When we do, we will change/code your name so that there is no recorded connection between you/your avatar and the data. You may choose to withdraw at any time without penalty by simply telling me you wish to stop.
You may follow the progress of all of the studies in the class, including this one at: <http://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/333/bloglinks333_07.html>. Presentation of the findings from the study serve as our gift to the communities of practice who share time and knowledge with us; perhaps our perspectives will help residents to more fully understand and appreciate their activities.
If you have questions regarding the study, you can contact me, in world or out of world via email at <jmckittrick@bradley.edu>, or my teacher, Professor Beliveau in world or out of world as Ed Lamoureux at ell@bradley.edu, 309-677-2378.
Do you read English clearly enough to understand this form and to respond?Do you have any questions?May I observe your behavior in this setting and make notes about it?May I transcribe of copy of our interview for use in class presentations and published to the blog after removing your identity.?Thank you for your time and consideration of my requests.
Agree to the informed consent in general?
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