Bibliography
SECTION 2: PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Please do not provide your full research proposal here: what is required is a short project description of not more than two pages that gives, under the following headings, a brief overview spelling out the background to the study, the key questions to be addressed, the participants (or subjects) and research site, including a full description of the sample, and the research approach/ methods
2.1 Project title
Life in the game: Identity in the age of online computer games.
Fun and games: a case study of virtual reality, identity and the virtual community.
2.2 Location of the study (where will the study be conducted)
Howard College
2.3 Objectives of and need for the study
(Set out the major objectives and the theoretical approach of the research, indicating briefly, why you believe the study is needed.)
This dissertation will offer a basic explanation of the Internet and globalization which lends a hand to those wanting to escape into parallel online worlds, where they are able to reinvent themselves digitally. This will lead into a discussion whether, and if so, how virtual reality online gaming influences identity transformation. Theorists such as Howard Rheingold (1994), Sherry Turkle (2001), Kevin Robins (1998) and Nick Yee (2008) discuss how virtual reality gaming provides a window to a different world, where players can experiment with their identities, as well as interact other gamers around the world; all of which aid in the shift of normal social and communication patterns.
2.4 Questions to be answered in the research
(Set out the critical questions which you intend to answer by undertaking this research.)
131 This research problem proposes to address the issues surrounding identity, virtual reality and the virtual community. The following key-questions are essential for the consideration of this main topic:
5) What is a virtual reality online gaming community?
6) How do these communities constitute themselves?
7) What are the types of identities students are creating for themselves online?
8) What can be observed when analysing a virtual community?
2.5 Research approach/ methods
(This section should explain how you will go about answering the critical questions which you have identified in Section 4. Set out the approach within which you will work, and indicate in step-by-step point form the methods you will use in this research in order to answer the critical questions.
For a study that involves surveys, please append a provisional copy of the questionnaire to be used.
The questionnaire should show how informed consent is to be achieved as well as indicate to respondents that they may withdraw their participation at any time, should they so wish.)
An empirical study will be conducted, one that analyses existing textual data on the various relevant theories on the concept of identity, virtual reality and the virtual community.
Primary data will be collected by means of interviews, focus groups and personal learning logs. This dissertation will be informed by qualitative research and techniques as it focuses on descriptions of people‟s representations of what is occurring in their world. This research method will include descriptive material- such as extracts from interviews and focus groups.
Interviews:
Twenty interviews32 will be conducted which will consist of a snowball sample group of Durban teenagers, ages 15 to 18. Ten teenagers will be interviewed who play virtual reality online computer games and the other ten interviews will be from those who do not play online games but knows someone who does. The interviews will enable for a personal face-to-face discussion with the
32 Interview example sheet under appendix one.
132 teenagers. Open questions will be asked, which in turn will give me a broader idea about their ideas and feelings towards the online game and other issues. The point of these interviews will enable the teenagers to think and talk for longer and so show their feelings and views more fully (Wisker, 2001:
140) without the influence of others. Notes will be taken throughout the interview.
Focus Groups:
The focus group will be a small group of ten teenagers from the interviewed group, five who play the online game and five who do not. The focus group will enable close scrutiny and lengthy discussion.
This will be done in the hope to generate debate and different opinions from those who play the online games and those who do not. It will also be taken into consideration that due to the presence of other people the teenager’s responses and feelings may change- reshaping their answers as others speak (Gina Wisker, 2001: 141). The focus group questions will be the same as the interview questions- but will allow for a greater debate among the teenagers. This will enable me to examine if certain people’s opinions change due to the fact that other people will be present. Notes will be taken throughout the focus group.
2.6 Proposed work plan
Set out your intended plan of work for the research, indicating important target dates necessary to meet your proposed deadline.
STEPS DATES
Hand in proposal, research ethics
application form and supervisor contract.
Read up further for literature review.
Read up further on theoretical frameworks.
Gather, collate and organise all
September 2008
October- November 2008
December 2008- January 2009
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