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[BSL]

Hello fellow dwarf fortress players,

I've been a long time player of dwarf fortress, from the days when z-levels were not available and seasonal flooding of rivers would drown dwarves regularly.  Instead of paying attention to my university classes, I'd spend ages figuring out how to actually survive a year if not more without being massacred by angry elephants and orcs, but I still somehow ended up completing my bachelors, and even had the opportunity to write a thesis!  So of course I picked something close to heart for my topic: "Motivations and Effects of Prolonged Gameplay on Dedicated Video Game Players".

Now having played dwarf fortress for so long and seeing how it has evolved with each challenge, I think it's quite safe to say all players of this game would fit into the category of dedicated players!  And that's why I'm here, to ask for your help in my research; to complete a short survey that shouldn't take more than 10 to 15 minutes, at most.  It is completely anonymous and any details you provide will be kept confidential.  If you're interested in helping, and you are also 18 years of age or older, this is the link to the survey, http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GS6MTTY, and I thank you in advance for taking your time to fill it out!

In addition, if you wish to volunteer for a follow up interview, you may put in a contact email at the end of the survey.  This will not be given to any 3rd parties and only be used for the purpose of this project.

The following's some mandatory documents for you to peruse if my explanation's insufficient in any way:

Code: [Select]

Motivations and Effects of Prolonged Gameplay on Dedicated Video Game Players
QUT Ethics Approval Number: 1100001126

RESEARCH TEAM
Principal Researcher:
Brian Lam, Honours Student, QUT
Associate Researcher:
Dr Peta Wyeth, Senior Lecturer, QUT

Description
This project is being undertaken as part of an Honours project for Brian Lam. 
The purpose of this project is to discover a range of gameplay motivations and effects of prolonged gameplay to expand the current field of knowledge on the area.
You are invited to participate in this project because you have met the criteria of being a video game player, the main subject of this research.

Participation
Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary. If you do agree to participate, you can withdraw from the project at any time without comment or penalty. Any identifiable information already obtained from you will be destroyed. Your decision to participate, or not participate, will in no way impact upon your current or future relationship with QUT.
During the survey you may provide a means of contact (email address), which allows the research team to contact you for a follow up interview.  If you provide this email, your survey will be identifiable, allowing you to withdraw even after completion of the survey.  However, if you do not provide an email, the survey will be anonymous, and thus it will be impossible to withdraw after submission.
The email will only be used as a means of contact during the project, and will not be used for any other purpose, or given to any other party.  Unless otherwise requested by the participant themselves, these records of contact will be deleted upon completion of the project.
Participation will involve completing a 20 item anonymous survey with likert scale answers (strongly agree – strongly disagree style scale) that will take approximately 15 minutes of your time. Questions will include items such as “What emotions do you experience after a gaming session?” and “What compels you to return to a game?”
If you agree to participate you do not have to complete any question(s) that you are uncomfortable answering.

Expected benefits
It is expected that this project will not directly benefit you. However, it may benefit gamers and researchers upon completion, in more thoroughly understanding why people play games and what effects it may have on them.

Risks
There are no risks beyond normal day-to-day living associated with your participation in this project.

PRIVACY AND Confidentiality
All comments and responses are anonymous and will be treated confidentially.  The names of individual persons are not required in any of the responses.
Please note that non-identifiable data collected in this project may be used as comparative data in future projects.
Consent to Participate
Submitting the completed online questionnaire is accepted as an indication of your consent to participate in this project.
Questions / further information about the project
If have any questions or require any further information about the project please contact one of the research team members below.

Brian Lam – Researcher
Faculty of Science and Technology
Phone  0402 138 918
Email  brian.lam@student.qut.edu.au

Dr. Peta Wyeth – Supervisor
Faculty of Science and Technology
Phone  3138 2868
Email  peta.wyeth@qut.edu.au

Concerns / complaints regarding the conduct of the project
QUT is committed to research integrity and the ethical conduct of research projects.  However, if you do have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of the project you may contact the QUT Research Ethics Unit on 3138 5123 or email ethicscontact@qut.edu.au. The QUT Research Ethics Unit is not connected with the research project and can facilitate a resolution to your concern in an impartial manner.

Thank you for helping with this research project.  Please keep this sheet for your information.
Ta very much and have fun!
Brian

P.S. Perpetual magma pumps with no off switches is a bad idea.

Edit: by request, a new title!

[Putnam]

Interesting!

You may want to make the topic title something more inviting (to forum-goers)! Something like "Dwarf Fortress scientific study survey" or somesuch.

[Graebeard]

I second Putnam's recommendation.

Just took the survey.  It was pretty straight forward.  Be sure to post your results/work here once you're done!

[Kaleb702 Games]

Just took it.

I'd like to note something:
What if... there was a game that turned boring work into fun work.
If so, that would really cause lots more productivity...

[BSL]

@Putnam and Graebeard: I couldn't think of a good enough pun to edit the title with, so that will have to do for now, thanks for the suggestion!

@Kaleb702: that's another topic quite close to heart with me according to some friends, there is an iphone application that assigns experience points and levels for doing boring tasks, like washing the dishes and so forth.  Supposedly it works, but I don't own an iphone, so could not test it myself.

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far, there is almost enough responses to work with, just several more and I can begin the next phase!  In the mean time, moats, lots of them.

[Organum]

@Kaleb702: that's another topic quite close to heart with me according to some friends, there is an iphone application that assigns experience points and levels for doing boring tasks, like washing the dishes and so forth.  Supposedly it works, but I don't own an iphone, so could not test it myself.

Something like this?

[BSL]

Ah, how did I miss that quote button?

Something like this?

I think it's closer to the first two panels at the moment, and the users assign the points and check off the list themselves?  Not quite sure how it works.