Written by Daniel Skentelbery – This is an adaptation of a talk I gave at the 12th Annual Post-Graduate Conference at Manchester Met University (04.03.2020), the theme of the conference was Roots and Reach placing a focus on development of methodologies and how we engage with other people inside and outside of academia. My talk ‘RAIDERS of the Lost Methodology’ looked at the development and ongoing revisions of my methodology, as I go about my NWCDTP funded PHD research at Keele University.
I’m in the second year of my research which is seeking to understand the ways in which cosplayers use costume play to navigate gendered and sexual identities. In my research I have incorporated a number of different approaches, however, over the course of my first year certain tensions began to arise, which encouraged me to reconsider my line of attack, and the subsequent write up of my findings. Here, I will reflect on what I’ve learnt from adapting my methodologies, and some of my wider opinions on academic convention more broadly. I hope to offer an encouraging reflection on the processes of change and revision, to do so I will be drawing on my academic hero Dr. Indiana Jones.
Dr. Jones is an important representation of academia. He is an unconventional glamorous depiction of academia, I will admit, but an important one. Just like Dr. Jones my adventure begins with me carefully weighing up how to grasp at the golden figurehead, or rather how I do measure my methodology. What are the best methods I can employ to best answer how cosplayers perform gender and sexuality in cosplay? I conclude upon three main approaches. First of all, I use theoretical and textual analysis drawing on gender and queer literature to discuss shifts in fan cultures and dominant western culture. Secondly, I use ethnographic semi-structured interviews, interviewing cosplayers to learn from a varied pool of unique experiences. Finally I also decide that I will be reflecting upon my own auto-ethnographic experiences attending conventions. As Dr. Jones swipes the golden idol and runs with it, I swipe for the perfect methodology and go for it. But, those familiar with Raiders will know that things do not quite work out for poor Indy.
FNORD 