summer school keynote
DESCRIPTION
A keynote presentation about game research methods at the Utrecht 2014 summer school on game studiesTRANSCRIPT
Game Research MethodsPetri Lankoski & Staffan Björk
What
Subliminal commands
BUY OUR BOOK!
GO TO OUR WORKSHOP!
Hopefully this will be some food for
thought regarding:
What type of research you do
How you do research
Introducing different methods and traditions
Research Practices
Game research can be seen as its own research
field or a research domain common to many
research fields
Established disciplines typically have a core set of
“correct” research methods
Not so for new disciplines or those that are
interdisciplinary
Unit of Analysis
Well-established
research fields typically
have identified what is
the individual data
collected and
analyzed, the unit of
analysis
Our perspective
Confusion reigning in game research
What should be studied? (games, gamers, gaming, platforms,
texts, etc.)
What are the legitimate methods?
What does legitmate mean in this context?
We don’t believe there is one correct answer, i.e. we
see game research as an interdisciplinary field
Method selection should be motivated
This requires avareness of different approaches
Our perspective, cont.
To advance game research as a field, research
approaches needs to be more explicit
This puts demands on researchers to discipline themselves
about being explicit about what they are doing and why
(not why others are wrong)
Descriptions of approaches to provide a common
source where the approaches can be compared
Research methods is one aspect of this
Method?
A method is a specific systematic procedure for
handling data (of the chosen Unit of Analysis)
Data gathering methods (e.g., interview, observation,
questionnaire)
Data analysis methods (e.g., T-test, discourse analysis)
Mixed methods
Qualitative and quantitative mixed
Method, cont.
Qualitative method Rich descriptions of a
phenomenon
Quantitative methods Relations between measured
variables
Mixed methods
approaches Combines qualitative and
quantitative methods in various
ways
?
Methods, cont.
Research question implies possible research
methodsBut, you need research to find your research
question
Sometimes you start with other things that
research questionsResearch domains
Research projects
…
Research is messy business
Overview of our forthcoming book
For games
Qualitative approachers
For play and players
Quantitative
approaches
Quantitative
approaches
Mixed methods
Game development
for research
Contributors of the collection
Olsson
Björk & Lankoski
Zagal & Mateas
Sköld, Adams, Harviainen &
Huvila
Brown
Cote & Raz
Pitkänen
Eklund
Landers & Bauer
Lieberoth, Wellnitz
Järvelä, Kivikangas, Ekman,
& Ravaja
Marczak & Schott
Wallner & Kriglstein
Lieberoth & Roepstorff
Mohseni, Pietschmann &
Liebold
Waern & Back
What and Not
We cover various very typical game research
methods and some more esoteric
Opportunistic sampling for chapters
Does (unfortunately) not include all feasible
methods we are aware of, e.g.:
platform studies
historical studies methods
Qualitative methods for studying games
Methods than have focus on the games itself
Games as formal systems
Games as information system
Not gaming
In these, the player is a theoretical concept
The method abstracts player
e.g., as to player actions
Qualitative methods for studying games,
cont.
Formal analysis of gameplay
Language for describing various aspects of
the game systems
Primitives: components, actions, goals
Analysis examples
Plant vs Zombies
Ico, combining formal
Qualitative methods for studying games,
cont.
Formal analysis of temporal frames
Language for describing temporal aspects of the
games
Games as information
How players search and use information in games
Analyzing information kinds of information and
access to information
Qualitative methods for studying play and
players
Methods has focus on players’ behavior or
phenomenology
Ethnomethodology
Interview methods
How to apply the method when studying
games
Qualitative methods for studying play and
players, cont.
Ethnographic methods
case example: erotic role-play
Interviews
introduction to interviewing and analyzing
interview data
stimulated recall
focus groups
Quantitative approaches
Quantitative methods
Data visualization
Automated data gathering
Quantitative approaches, cont.
Fundamental concepts of quantitative analysis
classical test theory, quantitative validity and reliability,
correlation designs, experimental designs, quasi-experimental
designs
Understanding the results and what they tell
Evidence-based practices, evidence
Effect sizes
Quantitative approaches, cont.
Games as stimulus for psychophysiological
studies
Advantages
e.g., more complex tasks
Challenges
e.g., similarity of stimulus
Practical and methodological considerations
Quantitative approaches, cont.
Visualizing quantitative
gameplay data
Mixed methods approaches
Mixed methods approaches combines both
qualitative and quantitative methods
Introduction to mixed methods research
Repertory grid technique
Game development for research
Modding for experimental research
Developing games for experimental research
Qualitative game design research
Design research is a special where the created
artefact is integral part of research
Summary
The Book Overview of different methods
How to use them
Something about research in general
Possible advantages Toolbox of methods
Understanding of different methods, which fit your research,
and how to apply them
Help reflecting on your research
What is your research question?
What is your unit of analysis?
