Beyond the Screen: Exploring Conventions and Connection Post-COVID

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Renee Raymond

School of Behavioral Sciences

2200 E Germann Rd Suite 120, Chandler, AZ 85286, United States

437-374-7784

Renee.raymond@my.calsouthern.edu

You are being asked to take part in a research study. Before you decide to participate in this study, it is important that you understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please read the following information carefully. Please ask the researcher if there is anything that is not clear or if you need more information.

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of attending anime fan conventions using different modes (in-person and online) post-COVID-19, and the impact on attendees’ sense of belongingness, self-esteem, and mental well-being. It also seeks to provide insight into the effects of in-person versus virtual interaction amid changing patterns in social interaction, post-COVID-19.

The study will require you to answer questions for this survey using SurveyMonkey. This process should take no more than 10 minutes. The survey will ask you non-identifiable questions about your demographics, feelings about attending in-person conventions and virtual ones, questions about your sense of belongingness, self-esteem, and mental well-being. Your data will be analyzed along with other collected surveys to understand the impact of in-person versus virtual conventions on sense of belongingness, self-esteem, and mental well-being.

Your participation in this research is greatly appreciated if you meet the following requirements:

1)     You reside solely in Canada and self-identify as an anime fan

2)     You have attended at least one Anime North convention

3)     You have attended at least one virtual anime convention

4)     You are 18 years of age or older

There are no known risks if you decide to participate in this research study, nor are there any costs for participating in the study.

You may decline to answer any or all questions and you may terminate your involvement at any time if you choose.

The information participants provide will help the investigator understand how anime fans feel about in-person opportunities to connect with others. The information collected may not benefit you directly, but what is learned from this study should provide general benefits to the larger anime community, which may benefit from the study’s findings.

Your responses to this survey will be anonymous. Please do not write any identifying information on your survey. Every effort will be made by the researcher to preserve your confidentiality including the following:

·       Keeping notes, interview transcriptions, and any other identifying participant information on a secure hard drive for 5 years in the personal possession of the researcher and then destroyed at the end of this period of time. This is consistent with the requirements of California Southern University and the American Intercontinental University system’s IRB requirements.

Participant data will be kept confidential except in cases where the researcher is legally obligated to report specific incidents. These incidents include, but may not be limited to, incidents of abuse and suicide risk.