academic research on fandom

There is a survey about fanfiction that some academics are doing here: http://fanficsurvey.appspot.com

I initially quipped that Torchwood peeps should answer this and said, "you'll be annoyed by some of the questions, but I think we'll also skew the data awesomely."

But then....

ETA: this account of convo with the researchers is of interest -- http://eruthros.dreamwidth.org/273840.html

Comment thread discussion of interest: http://ogi-ogas.livejournal.com/681.html

Unlike others, I don't necessarily have a problem with outsiders studying fandom, although their agenda is another matter entirely.

ETA2: Their responses to me and others in the comment thread linked above are unacceptable. They repeatedly invalidate their own shoddy methodology, they are condescending and rude to people who they claim aren't speaking clearly when those people are academics in relevant fields and the confusion seems to stem from the researchers not knowing the meaning of "canon" or queer" and there's evidence to suggest this is a non-academic study by academics for some mass-market book on romance or something (which means they've been misrepresenting their purposes). They don't know what slash means, they don't believe in the idea of non-straight women writing it and don't seem to understand the idea that many canons contain queer texts.

LIVID LIVID LIVID. DO NOT TAKE THIS SURVEY.

The survey is a disaster for a number of reasons (many of which I noticed while taking it, many more of which showed up in the discussion above). Very much worth reading and adding to the comments.

Thanks to telesilla for the headsup.