Information for participants »
I believe that academic research involving human participants should be fair and transparent. The aim of this website is to help make it clearer for potential participants what is the purpose of the research, and what their involvement in the research would mean.
I also think it is important to make the published research available for the participants, especially in such research as I am doing, which can also be seen as a part of the 'social history' of a community. By doing this I want the research to be an interesting experience for the participants, having the option to be something more than participating into an interview, and then forgetting all about it.
Research methods
The data gathering in the research project will consist of multiple methods; participant observation of everyday life and tourist interactions; interviews; website analysis and research on discussion forums.
Particiapant observation is the central anthropological 'tool' of research. The aim of participant observation is to experience and see the daily life of a group of people as closely as possible in the same way as they do.
In my research the participant observation will occur during summer season 2008, which I will largely spend in Shetland. I hope to get to spend time with locals as well as tourists. Among them I hope to find volunteers for interviews too.
In addition to the research done in Shetland I will be analysing websites introducing Shetland, as well as taking part in discussions in Shetland tourism related online discussion forums.
Ethical research
The research will follow ethical guidelines of academic research throughout. For the participants mean:
- participation to the research is completely voluntary
- anonymity of the participants whose data is used in publications
- option to view the data I have on the participant
- option to withdraw from the research
If you want to have any more information, or have questions about any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact me. |
