Guild Wars 2

Dear community,

I am a research student at Brunel University in the UK. Over the past year I have been exploring the emergent cultures of Guild Wars. In particular, I have been researching
the role that the “Hall of Monuments” has had in tying the Guild Wars series together.

You can find my previous work here (email me if you’d like a copy):
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13614568.2012.746743

As I have discovered throughout countless hours of play and study, no individual Guild Wars experience is fully comprehensive. We each seem to construct quite different play experiences, forming notably diverse styles and perspectives. This does, however, complicate the way in which we conceptualise “peer recognition”. It does not appear as homogeneous (uniform) as I had previously believed. If that is, indeed, the case, then what does “peer recognition” actually mean to players? Are there different aspects, beyond those ‘captured by in-game titles’?

To begin to answer this question, I have produced a brief follow-up survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Peer_Recognition_in_GW2

This survey is shorter than my previous work, focusing on three open-ended questions alongside a small number of demographic questions. It can take up to 15-20 minutes to complete the survey, depending on the level of detail you provide in the open-ended responses and whether you log into the game to help estimate your playing time (e.g. using the /age command).

I take research ethics very seriously so I have ensured that all of the relevant precautions have been made – anonymity, confidentiality, security, and data protection. No group or individual will be identified in the findings, however anonymous excerpts may be printed in journal articles or conference proceedings.

I am happy to share my findings with any participant. Simply, provide an email address and indicate that you wish to be sent the findings at the end of the survey. Alternatively, you can email me directly.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Your help is much appreciated!

With Regards,
Adrir The Scholar

Alright. I’ll do it, it looks interesting.

Bumping to the top so others will see it and consider doing it. I’ve seen lots of survey type threads here, but none using an actual, proper form… so I’ve always wondered how people stat collect, and if they go through all of the qualitative answers everyone posts.

Dinny.5310:

Alright. I’ll do it, it looks interesting.

Bumping to the top so others will see it and consider doing it. I’ve seen lots of survey type threads here, but none using an actual, proper form… so I’ve always wondered how people stat collect, and if they go through all of the qualitative answers everyone posts.

Thank you, Dinny.

Yes, I read every response I receive.

When I collect qualitative data, in this case open-ended questions, I usally export the responses to a tool called nVIVO. Within this tool, I go through the responses, reflect on them in the context of prior research, and then develop “codes”. I go through the responses again, coding the data as appropriate, which enables me to explore the data in terms of themes. Personally, I like to use visualisation tools, such as VOSViewer, to explore the themes that emerge and get a feel for how dominant they are.

The decision to just discuss things on the forum or use a dedicated online form can depend on the nature of the research. Having said that, I think the best form of research engagement is probably establishing a website (something similar to Nick Yee’s Daedalus Project). I would like to do this in the future, but it would be nice to have some good research to share first.

:-)

With Regards,
Adrir

Hi everyone!

I am still looking for participants!

You can find my survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Peer_Recognition_in_GW2

I hope you are all doing well!

With Regards,
Adrir