Master Thesis Survey about MetaFilter April 15, 2013 3:34 AM Subscribe
I have been a longtime lurker here on MetaFilter who just recently registered and I thought it would be a fascinating subject to dive into for my master thesis.
In order to get a better understanding of user activity on MetaFilter, I created the following survey:
Master Thesis Survey About MetaFilter
As I mention in the introductory text, the survey is completely anonymous and IP addresses will NOT be saved. I hope you take the time to submit your response and help a fellow MeFite out :)
Themes I will explore in the thesis are, among other things, everyday-life information practice and information behaviour. The information from the survey will be used in my analysis of how MeFi members use the site and how they feel about various aspects of it.
Feel free to share the survey with other users who may not see it here!
NB. Just one submission per person, thanks!
Master Thesis Survey About MetaFilter
As I mention in the introductory text, the survey is completely anonymous and IP addresses will NOT be saved. I hope you take the time to submit your response and help a fellow MeFite out :)
Themes I will explore in the thesis are, among other things, everyday-life information practice and information behaviour. The information from the survey will be used in my analysis of how MeFi members use the site and how they feel about various aspects of it.
Feel free to share the survey with other users who may not see it here!
NB. Just one submission per person, thanks!
It would be nice if you gave us a chance to see the aggregate data when you have it.
posted by OmieWise at 5:12 AM on April 15, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by OmieWise at 5:12 AM on April 15, 2013 [9 favorites]
Depending on what the mods say, I would have no problem sharing the data!
posted by RIABAMFR at 5:19 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by RIABAMFR at 5:19 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
In order to get a better understanding of user activity on MetaFilterpeople who like to self-report, I created the following survey.
posted by DU at 5:19 AM on April 15, 2013 [10 favorites]
posted by DU at 5:19 AM on April 15, 2013 [10 favorites]
Yeah, I'm aware that the survey poses the problem of self-selection bias, but I do still believe I can obtain (some degree of) meaningful information.
posted by RIABAMFR at 5:27 AM on April 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by RIABAMFR at 5:27 AM on April 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
Did my small part. Best of luck!
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:27 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:27 AM on April 15, 2013
Not awake enough yet.
more coffee, then survey.
posted by rtha at 5:34 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
more coffee, then survey.
posted by rtha at 5:34 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
That took aaaaaaaages. Not really, I strongly agree that it is just the right length for a survey to be.
posted by Elmore at 5:44 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by Elmore at 5:44 AM on April 15, 2013
One thing I forgot to add to the original post is that my supervisor has, naturally, looked over the survey and verified that it complies with the norms and standards at my university.
posted by RIABAMFR at 5:53 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by RIABAMFR at 5:53 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
RIABAMFR
Taz, can you say that three times fast?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:54 AM on April 15, 2013
Taz, can you say that three times fast?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:54 AM on April 15, 2013
I had to look at my profile to figure out how long I have been a member. It feels like I have always been here.
Perhaps typing this comment is the eternal now.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:55 AM on April 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
Perhaps typing this comment is the eternal now.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:55 AM on April 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
Taz, can you say that three times fast?
Not unless I want to go back to Kansas.
posted by taz (staff) at 5:57 AM on April 15, 2013 [15 favorites]
Not unless I want to go back to Kansas.
posted by taz (staff) at 5:57 AM on April 15, 2013 [15 favorites]
Brandon: My non-sensical and somewhat poorly chosen username is an amalgation of the first 2 letters of 4 cities/areas I have lived in here in Denmark. Don't ask me why I didn't choose something more clever or that rolls better off the tongue ;)
posted by RIABAMFR at 6:01 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by RIABAMFR at 6:01 AM on April 15, 2013
>Taz, can you say that three times fast?
Not unless I want to go back to Kansas.
If you do that in a darkened room with a mirror, I hear that a very scary survey appears behind you.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:03 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Not unless I want to go back to Kansas.
If you do that in a darkened room with a mirror, I hear that a very scary survey appears behind you.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:03 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Riabamfr, I was happy to fill it out. I was wondering, though, if you need to go through an institutional review board for human subject research in order to be able to publish your findings from this study (beyond just getting an OK from your advisor).
posted by ChuraChura at 6:07 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 6:07 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
My desktop computer IS a laptop. Hmm.
posted by smackfu at 6:13 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by smackfu at 6:13 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Glad to help! Good luck!
posted by TangerineGurl at 6:17 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by TangerineGurl at 6:17 AM on April 15, 2013
Ri
Ab
Am
Fr
*googles map of Denmark*
Friesland? Frisia? Nope - "North Frisia was a part of the Danish duchy of Schleswig (also: Southern Jutland) and belongs now to the German state of Schleswig-Holstein."
Aalborg has two As.
Ribe!
What was the prize again? No prize? OK, well fuck it, my attention span is done with that.
Incidentally, my Danish aunt explained to me that the Danes were not put out at all by the loss of Schleswig-Holstein to the Germans: it means that you only have to drive to Flensburg rather than all the way to Hamburg or Rostock for cheap booze and smokes.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:20 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ab
Am
Fr
*googles map of Denmark*
Friesland? Frisia? Nope - "North Frisia was a part of the Danish duchy of Schleswig (also: Southern Jutland) and belongs now to the German state of Schleswig-Holstein."
Aalborg has two As.
Ribe!
What was the prize again? No prize? OK, well fuck it, my attention span is done with that.
Incidentally, my Danish aunt explained to me that the Danes were not put out at all by the loss of Schleswig-Holstein to the Germans: it means that you only have to drive to Flensburg rather than all the way to Hamburg or Rostock for cheap booze and smokes.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:20 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
ChuraChura: Thanks! That's a good question and I discussed this very aspect with my supervisor as well, after the mods brought it up. As it turns out, it is okay to submit my paper for examination as long as my supervisor greenlights the survey and checks that it complies with standards here. If I had written a ph.d or carried out some other form of professional research, the process would undoubtedly look a lot different.
posted by RIABAMFR at 6:22 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by RIABAMFR at 6:22 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
Sounds good! Having just completed my MA research last year after rushing to submit my protocol to the animal research board in time, I wanted to make sure!
posted by ChuraChura at 6:31 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by ChuraChura at 6:31 AM on April 15, 2013
I would be happy to participate but am baffled by this survey. How is one supposed to answer "3. I have used the AskMeFi section to solve problems of personal interest" on a scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree?"
Also, "I find the content I post on the MetaFilter frontpage on other social sharing sites" and "I use MetaFilter to find inspirational content on the MetaFilter frontpage" means what?
posted by DarlingBri at 6:35 AM on April 15, 2013
Also, "I find the content I post on the MetaFilter frontpage on other social sharing sites" and "I use MetaFilter to find inspirational content on the MetaFilter frontpage" means what?
posted by DarlingBri at 6:35 AM on April 15, 2013
Sent off my reply. It made me simultaneously happy, because it reminded me how much I value MetaFilter, and guilty, when I realised the relatively small contributions I've ever made to it's cumulative awesomeness.
Which I suppose is somewhat applicable to the rest of life... I need to go and have an existential crisis now.
posted by greenish at 6:48 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Which I suppose is somewhat applicable to the rest of life... I need to go and have an existential crisis now.
posted by greenish at 6:48 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
What do you need shoe size for?
posted by cjorgensen at 6:49 AM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 6:49 AM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
Also, "I find the content I post on the MetaFilter frontpage on other social sharing sites" and "I use MetaFilter to find inspirational content on the MetaFilter frontpage" means what?
I took the first question to be about where you find the material for FPP's (if you don't make them, then..."disagree", I guess), but I also was uncertain about "inspirational". I did make that observation when I took the survey, though.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:59 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I took the first question to be about where you find the material for FPP's (if you don't make them, then..."disagree", I guess), but I also was uncertain about "inspirational". I did make that observation when I took the survey, though.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:59 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Is it not called a Master's thesis, or a Masters thesis?
I'd support a ban on apostrophe's.
10. In addition to MetaFilter, do you use any of these social websites to share information with others? Please select as many as you use.
Please, feel free to explain your answer:
This question requires an answer.
No, I don't, so you're missing out on a survey result I just spent 10 minutes filling out. "Other: please specify below" is just annoying.
posted by Wolof at 7:00 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'd support a ban on apostrophe's.
10. In addition to MetaFilter, do you use any of these social websites to share information with others? Please select as many as you use.
Please, feel free to explain your answer:
This question requires an answer.
No, I don't, so you're missing out on a survey result I just spent 10 minutes filling out. "Other: please specify below" is just annoying.
posted by Wolof at 7:00 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I found this survey really hard to answer. I felt like a lot of the questions had implicit assumptions about the way I use the site that aren't really true, which made it difficult to give good answers. I'm primarily an Ask user, and the a lot of the questions weren't clear whether they were asking about the blue or about the site as a whole. I tried to explain some of my assumptions as I went, but I feel like you may get pretty weird data, since the questions are sort of leading, in some cases.
posted by duien at 7:01 AM on April 15, 2013 [13 favorites]
posted by duien at 7:01 AM on April 15, 2013 [13 favorites]
Done. I expect to be flown over in a few months to be the wonder of your academic peers.
posted by Atreides at 7:06 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Atreides at 7:06 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
Having to check that I've been here "10 years or more" made me pause for a few moments and engage in a bit of introspection.
posted by vacapinta at 7:23 AM on April 15, 2013 [13 favorites]
posted by vacapinta at 7:23 AM on April 15, 2013 [13 favorites]
Is it not called a Master's thesis, or a Masters thesis?
I'd support a ban on apostrophe's.
Not in this case. The possessive is correct: It's the thesis of a "master."
Also: survey completed.
posted by scratch at 7:32 AM on April 15, 2013
I'd support a ban on apostrophe's.
Not in this case. The possessive is correct: It's the thesis of a "master."
Also: survey completed.
posted by scratch at 7:32 AM on April 15, 2013
It has just occurred to me that the sentence occurring under the live preview--"Everybody needs a hug"--might be interpreted as inspirational.
posted by scratch at 7:32 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by scratch at 7:32 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
I'm happy to help out, and interested in seeing the results.
posted by capricorn at 7:34 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by capricorn at 7:34 AM on April 15, 2013
I've answered too. I went with my own interpretation of what the questions meant based on my initial reaction. I like my beans fresh and green.
posted by h00py at 7:34 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by h00py at 7:34 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
DarlingBri: Yeah, that first question does not work well with a likert scale.
Blasdelb: Danish.
Duien: I agree, this is a problem. I should have made it more clear when questions were directed at specific subsections or the site as a whole.
Wolof: Yeah, this could have been handled better! Sorry you had to cancel your submission.
Make no mistake, this is a learning process for me as well. Ideally, I would call this survey my test run and return with an edited version, but that's really not feasible.
posted by RIABAMFR at 7:37 AM on April 15, 2013
Blasdelb: Danish.
Duien: I agree, this is a problem. I should have made it more clear when questions were directed at specific subsections or the site as a whole.
Wolof: Yeah, this could have been handled better! Sorry you had to cancel your submission.
Make no mistake, this is a learning process for me as well. Ideally, I would call this survey my test run and return with an edited version, but that's really not feasible.
posted by RIABAMFR at 7:37 AM on April 15, 2013
The color scheme was a nice touch.
GenjiandProust: "It feels like I have always been here."
You've always been the caretaker.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:54 AM on April 15, 2013 [6 favorites]
GenjiandProust: "It feels like I have always been here."
You've always been the caretaker.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:54 AM on April 15, 2013 [6 favorites]
Hey, no hostility here. Wishing you success.
Not in this case. The possessive is correct: It's the thesis of a "master."
Read the post title.
posted by Wolof at 7:55 AM on April 15, 2013
Not in this case. The possessive is correct: It's the thesis of a "master."
Read the post title.
posted by Wolof at 7:55 AM on April 15, 2013
"10. In addition to MetaFilter, do you use any of these social websites to share information with others? Please select as many as you use."
I don't do social websites, so I didn't check any. The form wouldn't let me proceed until I checked at least one. So I checked "other" and entered "None" in the box.
If you insist on a check mark for this question, you should include a "none" choice.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:58 AM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
I don't do social websites, so I didn't check any. The form wouldn't let me proceed until I checked at least one. So I checked "other" and entered "None" in the box.
If you insist on a check mark for this question, you should include a "none" choice.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:58 AM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
...I also was uncertain about "inspirational". I did make that observation when I took the survey, though.
Count me in that group as well. I also wondered how many non-members will take the survey. I'll be interested in the results, though.
posted by TedW at 8:03 AM on April 15, 2013
Count me in that group as well. I also wondered how many non-members will take the survey. I'll be interested in the results, though.
posted by TedW at 8:03 AM on April 15, 2013
I don't do social websites, so I didn't check any. The form wouldn't let me proceed until I checked at least one.
For some reason I didn't run into that problem.
posted by TedW at 8:04 AM on April 15, 2013
For some reason I didn't run into that problem.
posted by TedW at 8:04 AM on April 15, 2013
I think many of us feel that way, greenish. :) And I think Metafilter is, or can be, as much about all of us seeking ways to contribute better together to the site and to the world as it is about the current quantity of those contributions.
posted by beryllium at 8:14 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by beryllium at 8:14 AM on April 15, 2013
That was plenty all right. Wish I'd had more time for exposition, but that's what you get when doing a survey during working hours.
posted by batmonkey at 8:24 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by batmonkey at 8:24 AM on April 15, 2013
Everything I choose to spend my time on and give attention to is inspirational in some way. I had to interpret the question as "does this site give you motivation to be a productive, healthy, well-adjusted member of society", which I need to emphatically answer in the negative.
posted by naju at 8:42 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by naju at 8:42 AM on April 15, 2013
Metafilter: I came for the snacks, I stayed for the survey
posted by mazola at 8:51 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by mazola at 8:51 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Done. From various questions I just realized that nearly 12 years, times 365 days, times a couple of visits a day, equals around 7,000 visits, at an average of 15 minutes, equals about 1,750 hours or 10 solid weeks spent here. I'm sure many others can beat that.
posted by beagle at 9:06 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by beagle at 9:06 AM on April 15, 2013
I tend to offer my input on things whether or not I am asked, so to actually be asked for input? Well, I'm not going to turn THAT down! Survey done!
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 9:06 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 9:06 AM on April 15, 2013
I pronounce RIABAMFR like "Maria Bamford" with the ends cut off.
posted by Pronoiac at 9:12 AM on April 15, 2013 [23 favorites]
posted by Pronoiac at 9:12 AM on April 15, 2013 [23 favorites]
that was fun. we should do this more often.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:19 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:19 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I tried to do it but surveymonkey kept crapping out on me :(
posted by terrapin at 9:25 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by terrapin at 9:25 AM on April 15, 2013
I did it. I'll be interested in the results, too. Good luck on your thesis (break a keyboard?)!
posted by Brody's chum at 9:33 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by Brody's chum at 9:33 AM on April 15, 2013
Done.
Some of the questions felt a little odd, because I "agreed strongly", but I rarely did the described action.
Good Luck.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:36 AM on April 15, 2013
Some of the questions felt a little odd, because I "agreed strongly", but I rarely did the described action.
Good Luck.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:36 AM on April 15, 2013
Done. Good luck with your thesis; I hope you'll share some of your conclusions or data with us once you're done!
(I thought we were supposed to pronounce all user names as "Steve" unless informed otherwise)
posted by DingoMutt at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2013
(I thought we were supposed to pronounce all user names as "Steve" unless informed otherwise)
posted by DingoMutt at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2013
Where are you resident? Should maybe have had rather more leeway for those of us that aren't.
posted by adamvasco at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by adamvasco at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2013
I feel like there should be an option above "Several times a day" for question #4.
posted by brundlefly at 10:07 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by brundlefly at 10:07 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Done. Interesting project.
posted by TravellingCari at 10:26 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by TravellingCari at 10:26 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Who was the guy who did his Ph.D. thesis on Metafilter?
My favorite part of this question is that it's arguably not specific enough. But, yes, off the top of my head there's lewistate's doctoral thesis on Metafilter and ethos, and iamkimiam's ongoing sociolinguistic research for her doctorate. I'm not sure if any of the other research that's been done was specifically in the service of a Ph.D, though.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:27 AM on April 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
My favorite part of this question is that it's arguably not specific enough. But, yes, off the top of my head there's lewistate's doctoral thesis on Metafilter and ethos, and iamkimiam's ongoing sociolinguistic research for her doctorate. I'm not sure if any of the other research that's been done was specifically in the service of a Ph.D, though.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:27 AM on April 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
ChuraChura raises an interesting question that I've been thinking a lot about lately. The NYT recently had an article that brought the whole dark side of easy access to pseudo-scholarly publishing venues into a mainstream discussion. The thing is research can get published and widely distributed in so many ways, which has its pluses and minuses. Your survey looks like its followed many of the standard recommendations for this type of research, which is great, but even if it hadn't, it probably wouldn't prevent the work from being disseminated in some way.
Besides the self-selection bias which is being considered, there are myriad other issues such as informed consent, fake or multiple respondents, and minors participating. Anyway I wish you the best in this project. I'm sure you will learn a lot not just about Metafilter, but about survey design and Internet research. Who knows, maybe the Master's will lead to your PhD on the topic "Trajectory of a site survey to stimulate discourse on internet research ethics".
posted by gubenuj at 10:28 AM on April 15, 2013
Besides the self-selection bias which is being considered, there are myriad other issues such as informed consent, fake or multiple respondents, and minors participating. Anyway I wish you the best in this project. I'm sure you will learn a lot not just about Metafilter, but about survey design and Internet research. Who knows, maybe the Master's will lead to your PhD on the topic "Trajectory of a site survey to stimulate discourse on internet research ethics".
posted by gubenuj at 10:28 AM on April 15, 2013
Done. Good luck with your Thesi's!
Not a dissertation, but there was also Quatermass's MA thesis.
posted by Rumple at 10:31 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Not a dissertation, but there was also Quatermass's MA thesis.
posted by Rumple at 10:31 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Done, it kept making me feel guilty about not making any posts to the front page though, so I guess I better go and do that. The trick is to pick a really contentious topic and try and sum it up with a heavily editorialised single link, am I right? I'm sure Fox must have written about Palestinian rape apologists de-clawing cats to raise awareness for gun control at some point...
I mean, good luck!
posted by Ned G at 10:35 AM on April 15, 2013
I mean, good luck!
posted by Ned G at 10:35 AM on April 15, 2013
Perhaps typing this comment is the eternal now.
Eh, the eternal now is the eternal past, because our perceptual capabilities require processing time which renders our conscious experience of time forever poised a shutter-step behind the actuality of time. To-may-to, to-mah-to, whaddya gonna do?
posted by Diablevert at 10:40 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Eh, the eternal now is the eternal past, because our perceptual capabilities require processing time which renders our conscious experience of time forever poised a shutter-step behind the actuality of time. To-may-to, to-mah-to, whaddya gonna do?
posted by Diablevert at 10:40 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Finished! Mine's the one with the shiny gold star on top.
posted by carsonb at 10:45 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by carsonb at 10:45 AM on April 15, 2013
I did Kim's I did.
posted by flabdablet at 10:58 AM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 10:58 AM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
One thing I forgot to add to the original post is that my supervisor has, naturally, looked over the survey and verified that it complies with the norms and standards at my university.
Please post your IRB approval. (kidding)
posted by LionIndex at 11:22 AM on April 15, 2013
Please post your IRB approval. (kidding)
posted by LionIndex at 11:22 AM on April 15, 2013
Ah, it was Quartermass who I was thinking of, though along with not remembering his user name I obviously forgot what degree he was working towards.
posted by amro at 11:25 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by amro at 11:25 AM on April 15, 2013
Depending on what the mods say, I would have no problem sharing the data!
You will almost certainly need IRB approval for this - and probably for your study in general. Does your university have an IRB? (Sorry, I don't know how institutional review boards work in countries outside of the US.)
posted by k8lin at 11:28 AM on April 15, 2013
You will almost certainly need IRB approval for this - and probably for your study in general. Does your university have an IRB? (Sorry, I don't know how institutional review boards work in countries outside of the US.)
posted by k8lin at 11:28 AM on April 15, 2013
It is fitting to find oneself overthinking answers on a Metafilter survey.
posted by cmyk at 11:32 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by cmyk at 11:32 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I just wanted to say "More like 'Master's feces lol'" but couldn't find a way to do so without being churlish so I snuck it in obliquely here.
posted by klangklangston at 11:33 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by klangklangston at 11:33 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Are you playing 1000 Blank White Cards with Greg Nog again?
posted by The Whelk at 12:04 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 12:04 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'll do the survey later today, but my sockpuppets won't be able to spare the time until tomorrow morning, at best.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 12:31 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by Pater Aletheias at 12:31 PM on April 15, 2013
I thought your name was an homage to Maria Bamford as well.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:41 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by lazaruslong at 12:41 PM on April 15, 2013
Speaking about the ethics of research, I have a friend who works at the same university that I do and though he no longer does his own research, he currently helps build projects for others, typically in the Agricultural Sciences. Well, a student came to him with the idea of building an aquaponic tank in the greenhouse that my friend runs. If you're not familiar with aquaponics, it's just like hydroponics except rather than adding fertilizer to the water, instead you add fish—feed the fish, and their waste becomes the fertilizer. Then you have two products, the fish and the plants. Cool, right?
He hit a big snag when the project went to the equivalent of the IRC here and he was told that if he wished to pursue this project they would need to come up with a humane way to dispose of the fish after the experiment. He tried to explain that like almost every other animal used in the College of Agriculture they were planning on selling the fish as a product. This was unacceptable. Instead they insisted that his lab purchase a fish euthanasia tank were a powerful sedative could be administered to the fish (one at a time) and they would humanely "go to sleep."
After about three months of appeals they finally came to a compromise and decided that no fish would be sold, but also that no fish would leave the facility without a pulse, unless it had died during the experiment. So now, when they change experiments and it necessitates changing the fish, he invites all his friends to the lab where they net catch the fish in the tanks, put them in big plastic bags, and run them out to the parking lot where coolers filled with ice in the back of pickup trucks await them. And yes, one of those coolers is mine.
Oh, and I took the survey. Good luck. Hopefully none of us will have to be euthanized when you're finished.
posted by Toekneesan at 12:56 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
He hit a big snag when the project went to the equivalent of the IRC here and he was told that if he wished to pursue this project they would need to come up with a humane way to dispose of the fish after the experiment. He tried to explain that like almost every other animal used in the College of Agriculture they were planning on selling the fish as a product. This was unacceptable. Instead they insisted that his lab purchase a fish euthanasia tank were a powerful sedative could be administered to the fish (one at a time) and they would humanely "go to sleep."
After about three months of appeals they finally came to a compromise and decided that no fish would be sold, but also that no fish would leave the facility without a pulse, unless it had died during the experiment. So now, when they change experiments and it necessitates changing the fish, he invites all his friends to the lab where they net catch the fish in the tanks, put them in big plastic bags, and run them out to the parking lot where coolers filled with ice in the back of pickup trucks await them. And yes, one of those coolers is mine.
Oh, and I took the survey. Good luck. Hopefully none of us will have to be euthanized when you're finished.
posted by Toekneesan at 12:56 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Done. Where's my free donut?
I keep waiting for someone to do the brutally honest Metafilter survey.
"I use Metafilter because talking to my extended family over the holidays bores the fuck out of me."
"I use Metafilter because I hate my job and my IT department is too stupid to firewall the site."
"I use Metafilter because I am a self-loathing narcissist who validates my existence by collecting favorites."
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:27 PM on April 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
I keep waiting for someone to do the brutally honest Metafilter survey.
"I use Metafilter because talking to my extended family over the holidays bores the fuck out of me."
"I use Metafilter because I hate my job and my IT department is too stupid to firewall the site."
"I use Metafilter because I am a self-loathing narcissist who validates my existence by collecting favorites."
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:27 PM on April 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
Hopefully none of us will have to be euthanized when you're finished.
*raises hand*
I'll volunteer for the tank of powerful sedatives!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:30 PM on April 15, 2013
*raises hand*
I'll volunteer for the tank of powerful sedatives!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:30 PM on April 15, 2013
I'll volunteer for the tank of powerful sedatives!
I can set you up
posted by TedW at 1:57 PM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'll volunteer for the tank of powerful sedatives!
UT needs bodies!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:30 PM on April 15, 2013
UT needs bodies!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:30 PM on April 15, 2013
Done.
Besides the aformentioned lack of a none option for social networking the final page makes manadatory more information than Metafilter itself requires some of which some of us are going to be unwilling to divulge even anonymously. Even if you don't make results available you'll just have to tell us how many "Go Nuts" you get for occupation and gender.
posted by Mitheral at 2:35 PM on April 15, 2013
Besides the aformentioned lack of a none option for social networking the final page makes manadatory more information than Metafilter itself requires some of which some of us are going to be unwilling to divulge even anonymously. Even if you don't make results available you'll just have to tell us how many "Go Nuts" you get for occupation and gender.
posted by Mitheral at 2:35 PM on April 15, 2013
Item, that's not very fair. I honestly didn't realize that I was missing a permission through my university for research I did last year (as a grad student) until someone asked me whether or not I had it. There are so many hoops to jump through for research, it's certainly worth asking about something like IRB approval. Especially for folks working in a US social science context, not seeing an explicit informed consent form is strange and I was curious about it.
posted by ChuraChura at 3:05 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 3:05 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
cortex: > Who was the guy who did his Ph.D. thesis on Metafilter?
My favorite part of this question is that it's arguably not specific enough.
I just put some of the research papers I've seen about Metafilter onto the wiki.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:12 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
My favorite part of this question is that it's arguably not specific enough.
I just put some of the research papers I've seen about Metafilter onto the wiki.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:12 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Done. I expect beers on Nyhavn once you finish.
posted by arcticseal at 3:45 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by arcticseal at 3:45 PM on April 15, 2013
"I find it cute that people are telling you, Mr RIAJUBHXYZ, that you might possibly have failed to collect the proper academic permissions to make this here survey. Wait, no not cute - what's another fine word for the way grad students/former grad students/professors/anyone in academia see themselves? It's on the tip of my tongue."
There are a small collection of red flags in the survey that are immediately apparent to people who are familiar with them. If this were research in a proper sense it would be in violation of the Helsinki Declaration and international law, lacking explicitly obtained informed consent if nothing else. The results of this survey cannot be published just about anywhere according to international ethical standards, and would be at best huge embarrassment for an institution to have in a PhD thesis. That said Masters theses do mean different things in different places and run the gamut from glorified book report to slightly smaller dissertation.
If RIAJUBHXYZ's advisor has a rational for why this is not institutional research on humans that would require treating it like institutional research on humans they're probably not wrong, if only slightly shaky ground, but these are important questions to ask. You would be amazed at the kinds of shit researchers, especially young researchers with poor supervision, come up with and try to execute before beings stopped by IRBs thinking they can get away with much less publish it.
posted by Blasdelb at 3:53 PM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
There are a small collection of red flags in the survey that are immediately apparent to people who are familiar with them. If this were research in a proper sense it would be in violation of the Helsinki Declaration and international law, lacking explicitly obtained informed consent if nothing else. The results of this survey cannot be published just about anywhere according to international ethical standards, and would be at best huge embarrassment for an institution to have in a PhD thesis. That said Masters theses do mean different things in different places and run the gamut from glorified book report to slightly smaller dissertation.
If RIAJUBHXYZ's advisor has a rational for why this is not institutional research on humans that would require treating it like institutional research on humans they're probably not wrong, if only slightly shaky ground, but these are important questions to ask. You would be amazed at the kinds of shit researchers, especially young researchers with poor supervision, come up with and try to execute before beings stopped by IRBs thinking they can get away with much less publish it.
posted by Blasdelb at 3:53 PM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
For the question,
7. How often do you post comments in a post?
it's not clear if you mean on the main page (Metafilter) or you're including the subsites (Ask, Talk, etc). My answer varies drastically, since I post the main page infrequently & Ask very frequently.
In fact, as I go through the survey, it's very unclear to me how you are using the term Metafilter and when you mean the whole website vs. the front page subsite.
posted by insectosaurus at 4:33 PM on April 15, 2013
7. How often do you post comments in a post?
it's not clear if you mean on the main page (Metafilter) or you're including the subsites (Ask, Talk, etc). My answer varies drastically, since I post the main page infrequently & Ask very frequently.
In fact, as I go through the survey, it's very unclear to me how you are using the term Metafilter and when you mean the whole website vs. the front page subsite.
posted by insectosaurus at 4:33 PM on April 15, 2013
That the above 90+ comments aren't all variations on "LURK MOAR" is yet another testament to this community's most hospitable nature.
I once played tennis with Aria Bamfor and would have beaten her soundly if it hadn't also been the occasion of an unseasonal lightning storm.
posted by shoesfullofdust at 5:21 PM on April 15, 2013
I once played tennis with Aria Bamfor and would have beaten her soundly if it hadn't also been the occasion of an unseasonal lightning storm.
posted by shoesfullofdust at 5:21 PM on April 15, 2013
Done. From various questions I just realized that nearly 12 years, times 365 days, times a couple of visits a day, equals around 7,000 visits, at an average of 15 minutes, equals about 1,750 hours or 10 solid weeks spent here. I'm sure many others can beat that.Some of them would beat it in a little over 10 weeks.
posted by fullerine at 8:01 PM on April 15, 2013
If this were research in a proper sense it would be in violation of the Helsinki Declaration and international law, lacking explicitly obtained informed consent if nothing else. The results of this survey cannot be published just about anywhere according to international ethical standards
Blasdelb, I feel like your comment here is unnecessarily dismissive and disparaging of this project. What would constitute "research in a proper sense" for you?
And hasn't the Helsinki Declaration been out of favor in the U.S. since Good Clinical Practices came to be the acceptable standard in 2008? Added to that is the caveat that the Helsinki Declaration is not legally binding even within all the countries that support its general principles. So to state unequivocally that this project is in violation of international law seems like a stretch.
I would think this research would more appropriately fall under the ethics of sociological studies, anyway.
Aren't you are being a bit heavy-handed with your criticism?
posted by misha at 8:03 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Blasdelb, I feel like your comment here is unnecessarily dismissive and disparaging of this project. What would constitute "research in a proper sense" for you?
And hasn't the Helsinki Declaration been out of favor in the U.S. since Good Clinical Practices came to be the acceptable standard in 2008? Added to that is the caveat that the Helsinki Declaration is not legally binding even within all the countries that support its general principles. So to state unequivocally that this project is in violation of international law seems like a stretch.
I would think this research would more appropriately fall under the ethics of sociological studies, anyway.
Aren't you are being a bit heavy-handed with your criticism?
posted by misha at 8:03 PM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
I don't know about the Helsinki Declaration but this survey violates the hell out of the Treaty of Westphalia.
posted by brain_drain at 8:39 PM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by brain_drain at 8:39 PM on April 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
[x] I log in because I want to make that blue background colour go away.
posted by zadcat at 9:52 PM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by zadcat at 9:52 PM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Dang it, is it too late to change my answers? 'Cause I also log in to get my visual preference (no titles and the fonts I like).
posted by Mitheral at 10:00 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by Mitheral at 10:00 PM on April 15, 2013
Chocolate Pickle, I think you and I are the ONLY ONES ON THE PLANET who would have that problem. Though I do feel better that I am not the only one who answered that way. TWO OF US LEFT!
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:54 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:54 PM on April 15, 2013
Part of my interest in MetaFilter stems from being recognized as a valuable member of the community.
Of course! I am not sure why this even had to be asked.
posted by vidur at 11:20 PM on April 15, 2013
Of course! I am not sure why this even had to be asked.
posted by vidur at 11:20 PM on April 15, 2013
I'm pretty sure my country of residence + occupation makes me readily identifiable.
posted by kaibutsu at 11:41 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by kaibutsu at 11:41 PM on April 15, 2013
Done. Yay.
Clearly it's pronounced "Ree-uh-bamf-er." He's related to Nightcrawler in some obscure Danish way.
posted by Deoridhe at 2:05 AM on April 16, 2013
Clearly it's pronounced "Ree-uh-bamf-er." He's related to Nightcrawler in some obscure Danish way.
posted by Deoridhe at 2:05 AM on April 16, 2013
Quartermass did his Sociology MA on self-policing in MeFi. That's how I found this place- he and I were students together for a time.
posted by arcticwoman at 5:22 AM on April 16, 2013
posted by arcticwoman at 5:22 AM on April 16, 2013
Would it be helpful to feature this on the sidebar? It might bring in users who don't check Metatalk.
posted by mokin at 7:41 AM on April 16, 2013
posted by mokin at 7:41 AM on April 16, 2013
We've talked about that possibility with RIABAMFR but it sounds like he's already zeroing in on the limit for not-crazy-expensive numbers of respondents on surveymonkey so it may be a moot point.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:57 AM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:57 AM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
I keep waiting for someone to do the brutally honest Metafilter survey.
"I use Metafilter because talking to my extended family over the holidays bores the fuck out of me."
"I use Metafilter because I hate my job and my IT department is too stupid to firewall the site."
"I use Metafilter because I am a self-loathing narcissist who validates my existence by collecting favorites."
Respectively: AskMe; MeFi; MeTa. What do I win?
Pay me in hugs or gin.
posted by ersatz at 8:17 AM on April 16, 2013
"I use Metafilter because talking to my extended family over the holidays bores the fuck out of me."
"I use Metafilter because I hate my job and my IT department is too stupid to firewall the site."
"I use Metafilter because I am a self-loathing narcissist who validates my existence by collecting favorites."
Respectively: AskMe; MeFi; MeTa. What do I win?
Pay me in hugs or gin.
posted by ersatz at 8:17 AM on April 16, 2013
It made me realize that I'm pretty sure the last (only?) time I made a post on the Blue was before Twitter, Facebook, et al.
/checks profile
Oh, I guess that's not true. I did post twice in Sept 2001, but also once in May 2011 and once in September 2011.
I guess I don't get to post again until 2021?
posted by epersonae at 10:42 AM on April 16, 2013
/checks profile
Oh, I guess that's not true. I did post twice in Sept 2001, but also once in May 2011 and once in September 2011.
I guess I don't get to post again until 2021?
posted by epersonae at 10:42 AM on April 16, 2013
"I use Metafilter because I hate my job and my IT department is too stupid to firewall the site."
A lot of us are the IT department.
posted by brennen at 4:26 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
A lot of us are the IT department.
posted by brennen at 4:26 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Looks like I got here too late to take the survey, but best of luck with your project, RIABAMFR! Reading everyone's responses in this thread brought back some really traumatic good memories.
posted by lewistate at 4:39 PM on April 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by lewistate at 4:39 PM on April 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
Sweet jesus, that comment from paulsc was beyond the pale. Here, have a hug (((((lewistate)))))
posted by carsonb at 4:55 PM on April 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by carsonb at 4:55 PM on April 16, 2013 [3 favorites]
Well, I read too far into that thread and am now going to have nightmares about the variety of fuckable orifices in the human body. *sigh*
posted by Brody's chum at 7:26 PM on April 16, 2013
posted by Brody's chum at 7:26 PM on April 16, 2013
Damn lewistate, I went on a pretty protracted trip into the MetaFilter rabbit hole after following your link. Your pain was my gain*. I've read a ton of MeTa over the years but missed that or completely forgot. I did somehow manage to never really read to the end of "longboat" or "alphaabet" threads and that was an interesting one; felt like I was in a parallel dimension with a slightly different cast of characters. And I've been an avid lurker since 2002 FFS.
I've been spending the better part of the last few hours reading that thread and some of the links within [* and actually found some good relationship advice** and good recommendations for more in the process]...I will dedicate my next bong session to your honor.
** I may have just been primed for it, otherwise potentially run-of-the-mill relationshipfilter that seemed profound, but I'll still credit you for getting me into sufficient Bacon proximity.
posted by lordaych at 8:12 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've been spending the better part of the last few hours reading that thread and some of the links within [* and actually found some good relationship advice** and good recommendations for more in the process]...I will dedicate my next bong session to your honor.
** I may have just been primed for it, otherwise potentially run-of-the-mill relationshipfilter that seemed profound, but I'll still credit you for getting me into sufficient Bacon proximity.
posted by lordaych at 8:12 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Cortex is absolutely right. I set the survey to automatically close when it approached 1.000 respondents. If not, SurveyMonkey will take my lunch money for the rest of the month. I did not expect the survey to reach that number in such a short time!
I want to say a big thanks to everyone who spent ~10 minutes of valuable MetaFilter-usin' time to fill out my lil' ol' survey, warts and all, as well as the mods for letting me do it.
And thanks for the insightful and funny comments. They contain many nuggets of truth and totally valid points of criticism (as well as an interesting discussion on research ethics), that I will use for reflection in my paper as well as examination.
The IRB thing does not work in quite the same way at my university (not at my level, anyway) as in North American colleges, or perhaps other Danish universities. But I appreciate people bringing it up.
I feel fortunate to post this kind of survey on MetaFilter, where the community gets involved in this way ;)
- Mr RIAJUBHXYZ
posted by RIABAMFR at 12:34 AM on April 17, 2013
I want to say a big thanks to everyone who spent ~10 minutes of valuable MetaFilter-usin' time to fill out my lil' ol' survey, warts and all, as well as the mods for letting me do it.
And thanks for the insightful and funny comments. They contain many nuggets of truth and totally valid points of criticism (as well as an interesting discussion on research ethics), that I will use for reflection in my paper as well as examination.
The IRB thing does not work in quite the same way at my university (not at my level, anyway) as in North American colleges, or perhaps other Danish universities. But I appreciate people bringing it up.
I feel fortunate to post this kind of survey on MetaFilter, where the community gets involved in this way ;)
- Mr RIAJUBHXYZ
posted by RIABAMFR at 12:34 AM on April 17, 2013
I work with colleagues (including professor-level colleagues) at universities in Denmark, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. Some of these (I can't recall which exactly) don't even HAVE an equivalent of the IRB. Our university (in Australia) didn't either for non-medical research until about five years ago. Not every country works the same way.
(I do think the IRB process is valuable, though, when it exists, especially for new researchers. Those from countries without such boards would probably find it interesting and worthwhile to read up on issues and general guidelines for ethical social science research. It's not all as straightforward and intuitive as people sometimes think (including me before I started).)
posted by lollusc at 2:07 AM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
(I do think the IRB process is valuable, though, when it exists, especially for new researchers. Those from countries without such boards would probably find it interesting and worthwhile to read up on issues and general guidelines for ethical social science research. It's not all as straightforward and intuitive as people sometimes think (including me before I started).)
posted by lollusc at 2:07 AM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Last night I dreamed that I was nervously rushing around on some mission or other and everyone around me was bandying about "Maria Bamford" like it was a code word or something.
And then I woke up thinking "who the hell is Maria Bamford?!" And then I remembered this thread that I never even took part in.
Thanks Metatalk!
posted by Omnomnom at 4:56 AM on April 17, 2013
And then I woke up thinking "who the hell is Maria Bamford?!" And then I remembered this thread that I never even took part in.
Thanks Metatalk!
posted by Omnomnom at 4:56 AM on April 17, 2013
It's The Maria Bamford Special Special Special Survey!
posted by taz (staff) at 5:05 AM on April 17, 2013
posted by taz (staff) at 5:05 AM on April 17, 2013
I'm glad that I learned more about IRBs in other countries from this thread. My question about it spurred me to look it up, and the answers from others here were also really interesting. Thanks for that part of the discussion.
posted by k8lin at 9:17 AM on April 21, 2013
posted by k8lin at 9:17 AM on April 21, 2013
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by taz (staff) at 5:05 AM on April 15, 2013 [2 favorites]