Forum - View topicDo you know any "otaku?" Wanna do a survey?
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otaku_anon
Posts: 5 |
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Basically repeating what I said in my intro.
I am a college student doing funded independent research on the meaning of otaku in Japan and America. The meanings are different and evolving, and I am essentially trying to define those differences in contemporary use. If you know about otaku and are willing to do a survey, please click on one of the following links below. Everything is confidential and no one's information will be used directly in the thesis I must write (>.<) I swear. Wanna give it a try? Some people even told me they were interesting. Otaku of America: For people with general (or little) understanding of otaku: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=dKZXHxZn86hcpLRjXvf_2fIQ_3d_3d For self-proclaimed otaku and people with a deep understanding of otaku (longer): http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=F9lylYw_2fmUjg9EEgvcOBPA_3d_3d On another note, what do you guys think of otaku? |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11506 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Here's a tip to you and other people trying to do research/homework over these forums:
Instead of just popping up, presenting the premise of your project, asking questions, not answering them yourself, then asking the rest of us to participate, and still not answering your own questions or presenting enough detailed information that'll intellectually or personally entice us to cooper-/participate, how about you try doing all of the above, but actually participate and answer your own question: "what do you think of otaku?" I know doing research can be time-consuming enough as it is, especially when you've got deadlines to meet and all that and still wanna' retain some kind of social life outside of "work." But you'd be surprised at how much info you can get if you put forth enough effort to show us you care and that our opinions will ultimately matter. To paraphrase Sgt. Four-Leaf Tayback: "you gotta throw yourself into the shit!" In other words, help us help you by participating here and not just asking questions or being present in the 3rd person. |
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Miranox
 Posts: 247 Location: Montreal, Canada |
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I'm pretty sure a survey does not require the researcher to answer his own questions or give his opinion. Objectivity is very important for any kind of research. He's not advertising a product so he doesn't have to do anything special to get us interested, and even if he did, participating in his own survey is not the way to do it.
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RoverTX
 Posts: 424 |
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To expand on Tony's very helpful but 'House'ly delivered advice (cheesy avaatar based pun intended), It might also help to say who your getting your funding from, or if its government funded grant to post your grant number (or ID number I forget whats the correct name for it) and any other related links or information so people might be more likely to believe its legit. As for what I think, Otaku has become a buzz word. You have kids who only watch Naruto calling themselves Otaku with out knowing anything about the origins of the word or that its even Japanese. It seems like in Japan each time there is a new PM they give an interview to some Otaku mag and talk about how they are a little bit of an Otaku or hint at it. Its like people who call themselves Feminist while at the same time being in a relationship with a alcoholic, abusive, mean as s***, cheating boy friend. Its become part of the over all arching culture (or as in the case with Otakudom the over arching sub-culture ie nerdum), and the meaning has been stretched so thin that it only conveys a weak since of social connection, and not a set policy agenda or a set list of common interest. Edit: Done to clean up a few spacing issues and grammar. |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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I think what Tony's getting at is, the whole 'take my survey for school! <link>' thread falls under this forum's idea of spam. By offering some insight into their opinions, what kind of answers they might expect to get, the thread stands a better chance of remaining open.
I took the survey- some parts aren't particularly clear. You might need to look into that. |
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quoththeraven
 Posts: 27 Location: Baltimore, Maryland |
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Dunno know about that one buddy boy. I hashed this one out with a friend of mine offline. I still think a Grade-A Otaku is someone whose devoted more than an inordinate amount of time and especially money to living out an addiction. I mean, does every person who watches anime keep buying those silly PVC figures or wall scrolls or posters or collectible DVDs? Nope. In fact, if anything, i think that a lot of people who watch anime outside of Japan are leechers. They watch for entertainment purposes and move onto the next show. Its the Otaku who keep things going, the Otaku who buy the ridculously priced tape sets, and the Otaku who determine if a season 2 is going to come out. |
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RoverTX
Posts: 424 |
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I am not saying that Otaku's in the old school sense don't exist (my 500+ legit DVDs say other wise), but I am saying that its general use in nerdum and society as a whole has been water down to the point that its hard to call it a coherent group, not to mention there are so many clearly defined anime and manga subgroups that the hobby itself has become fracture on top of being watered down.
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otaku_anon
Posts: 5 |
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To answer most of the replies:
First, thanks for the feedback. I will take a lot of it into consideration and answer your questions when I can. I did chose not to place my opinion for the very reason Marinox spoke of; even trying to define otaku when making these requests can color the meaning and influence the way participants think about the subject matter; basically, being stating my opinion while being objective is very difficult if not unrealistic. This research is based on other people's perceptions, and I don't want to influence they way they think. Also, I know that I have my own thoughts and prejudices, but to remain objective and to make myself see other perspectives before starting an unnecessary argument, I stick to the facts and don't express my opinion too much. If there are any questions that don't make sense on the survey, please let me know, and answer them in the way you think out to be done. As I read responses, I think of a lot of things I could have asked differently, or a perspective I could have added for an option in a question. I'm only human, after all. If you want details on my research project, I can upload a few pages of the application or something. It's no big deal. It's funded by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) through my school Furman University in SC. This is mentioned to some extent in the survey. Otaku as a buzz word is essentially what I am looking at in the American anime subculture. But reactions to it across the board are so varied, it's difficult to pin down similarities in what people think. Most people seem to think of them as just fans; but I also get geeks, obsessed and perverted people, socially inept individuals, excessive and passionate people, etc. It also surprises me how few people actually know the word; I went to a convention in Atlanta, Ga in September, and the majority of people I talked to had never heard the word, which tells me it's not universally used in the American subculture, though it could also be due to the location and range of participants in the con. It was difficult finding people who actually knew what I was talking about. I used to think that the difference between otaku and regular fans were time and money spent into the hobby too, but it seems too narrow to identify them like this somehow. What if one cannot devote so much time and money to their hobbies, but they would if they could, and they do what they can, just to a lesser degree. Aren't they still otaku? |
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farichada
 Posts: 303 Location: Wisconsin, USA |
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While extensive, the survey needs some editing. Several of the questions were confusing, unclear and contained typos. I would suggest having a professor or a university writing tutor work with you on improving this. As is, it is not very professional or scholarly. This said, I hope you find your answers.
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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Though it is a somewhat predictable question for me to pose, might I ask if you intend to place any geographical limitations on your survey's population? |
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otaku_anon
Posts: 5 |
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My research is based on the perceptions of otaku in Japan and America, but I have received the responses from people outside of these countries, and am willing to read anyone's responses.
This forum is the first to tell me that some of my questions were unclear. I don't know why I wasn't made aware of it beforehand, but I will review and edit the surveys. Thank you. |
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Bento-Box
 Posts: 1049 Location: Florida |
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I was bored so I did this.
There are a few questions that are worded a little funny still and I felt like the same question was asked multiple times. |
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