Hi folks, For my new media class I've pulled together a research project that I thought I'd try running through the AoIR list as a collaborative endeavor. Here's what I was thinking of trying out - inviting folks on the list both to circulate the survey and to be able to access the data for use in their own classes. The survey covers mutual monitoring practices: using web sites, search engines, cell phones and IM as means of keeping track of and gathering background info about one another (peers, family members, significant others, etc.). I tried the survey out with some undergrads and thought the results looked interesting: students were using a variety of strategies to get information about one another. A colleague (and list member) in the UK invited some of her students to take the survey and the results were notably different: there was less of a tendency to engage in monitoring practices and, apparently (based on further discussion), a stronger sense that such practices were invasive than among the US students. I was struck by these differences and thought it might be interesting to try to circulate the survey nationally and internationally to see what kinds of patterns emerged. Since I'm teaching a class on new media this semester, I thought it might make an interesting research project for the class -- and it struck me that others on the list might be interested in seeing the data. So what I thought I'd do is to circulate both the survey URL and a URL for a site where I will post a summary report and access to the raw data (purged of any identifying information). My hope is that folks might be interested in circulating the survey among their students. A class that participates in the project can also see the results -- and these might be of some use for class discussion and research. So if it sounds like this might be of interest, here's the information: (this survey has been cleared for distribution by the University of Iowa's Human Subjects Office) Survey URL: https://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/21156/monitoring.htm Anonymous results: http://www.uiowa.edu/~c036173a thanks for your time -- and please let me know if this turns out to be of use for class. Suggestions, feedback, insight are all welcome. Best, Mark -- Mark Andrejevic Assistant Professor Department of Communication Studies 105 BCSB The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 Phone: (319) 335-0550 Fax: (319) 335-2930 Faculty Web page: http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/faculty/Andrejevic/