Study enrollment has now closed. Please watch this space as publications from the collected data will be uploaded here.
Guajardo, A. 2025. ‘Hardcore Gamers in Ballgowns: At the Crossroads of Gender and Play.’ Proceedings of the Digital Games Research Association 2025. Valletta, Malta. June 30- July 4 2025.
Guajardo, A. 2024. ‘What Players Want (Romantically).’ Conference Paper Presented at Video Game Cultures, University of Birmingham, UK, 12-14 September 2024. https://videogamecultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Guajardo-VGC2024-Proceedings.pdf
I have left the following information up in the event participants or readers are curious about the ethics which underpinned the collection of data for this study, but the study has closed.
What is this study about?
This study aims to learn more about the demographics, in-person events, and significance of media fandom to romantasy fans’ everyday life by interviewing 25 people. Romantasy can simply be defined as a genre of books, films, video games, and other media which combine elements of both romance and fantasy.
What does the study entail?
If you decide to participate in this research study, you will complete a verbal interview which should take an hour to complete. Video will not be recorded, but audio will. No identifying information will be kept with the transcription, rather participants will be referred to by a pseudonym of your choosing. At no point during the interview will you be asked for your name, address, or any other personal or identifiable information.
Confidentiality
Only the primary researcher, Ashley Guajardo, will have access to the interview audio files. Transcripts will be de-identified using a pseudonym of your choice.
The information collected about you for this study will not be used for future studies.
Risks
The risks of this study are minimal. Although no personal identifiable information will be collected during the interview, there is a risk of privacy loss. For example, if you describe a particular costume you wear in great detail, it is possible others in the community may recognize that description and thus link you to this study. Additionally, while every effort will be taken to protect your privacy by storing the data on password protected hard drives, there is a possibility of loss of confidentiality due to a data breech. Finally, some of the questions asked may make you feel uncomfortable. If you are uncomfortable answering any question(s), please do not answer. You may skip any question at any time for any reason.
Costs & Compensation
There is no cost to participate in this study. At the end of the interview, you will receive a $25 giftcard to Amazon or a local book seller of your choice.
Ashley ML Guajardo 