A Fan Studies Primer: Method, Research, Ethics - Paperback

by Paul Booth (Editor), Rebecca Williams (Author)

The discipline of fan studies is famously undisciplined. But that doesn't mean it isn't structured. This is the first comprehensive primer for classroom use that shows students how to do fan studies in practical terms. With contributions from a range of established and emerging scholars, coeditors Paul Booth and Rebecca Williams pull together case studies that demonstrate the wide array of methodologies available to fan studies scholars, such as auto/ethnography, immersion, interviews, online data mining, historiography, and textual analysis. This collection also probes the ethical questions that are unique to fan studies work, such as the use of online fan content for research, interview methods, consent, and privacy.

Author Biography

Paul Booth is professor of communication at DePaul University. He is author of Playing Fans: Negotiating Fandom and Media in the Digital Age (Iowa, 2015). Booth lives in Forest Park, Illinois.

Rebecca Williams is a senior lecturer in communication, cultural, and media studies at the University of South Wales. She is author of Everybody Hurts: Transitions, Endings, and Resurrections in Fan Cultures (Iowa, 2018). Williams lives in South Wales.