Hello everyone!

I'm sorry about the delay in updates here. I have been away from FA due to a combination of health concerns and due to work.

Late in August I had planned to send out transcripts. I chose to hold off on sending them out until I have had a chance to finalize a list of quotes. I am currently finishing chapters and editing. It seems like every time I think my quotes are done my supervisor and I find something else that needs to go in.

My plan at present is to finish the PhD around April or May of 2018. This is, of course, barring further hospital stays.

I appreciate all the help and patience that everyone has shown.

For those awaiting transcripts:

After meeting with my supervisor I was told to make some changes to the transcript format. I'm planning to have that done next month. At present, Anthrocon and Eurofurence transcripts are done. I'll start NordicFuzzCon next.

I have been asked if I'm planning to attend any cons this year. Unfortunately, I can't. I'm too swamped with work. With any luck I will see all of you in 2018.

Anthrocon Transcripts are now compiled. I'm meeting with my PhD supervisor tomorrow to discuss whether they go out now or with the data analysis sheets. I will be updating tomorrow to let everyone know what the decision is. The release of transcripts is running in a specific order, not in the order data was gathered.

My new university email is: Brenton.Spivey[at]hud.ac.uk

I'd also like to explain my absence last month. I have some good news in that I was approached by a very important academic publisher about my work. Nothing is set in stone, but I may have a book contract by the end of the month. It's not a sure thing, but I'm very excited. I focused on the PhD and book proposal to the point I forgot to post updates.

So I've been on medical leave since August of 2016. I intended to go back in January, but the Doctors wouldn't clear me to fly until this month.

At present I'm still waiting to be fully enrolled at Huddersfield University. This isn't their fault, as UK regulations require me to be in the country to finish enrollment. I've been cleared to fly out on the 28th of March. I'm going to submit my ethics approval form to Hudd as soon as I'm back and enrolled. Once they approve it and my PhD supervisor gives me the all clear I will be sending out transcripts. I've had to alter the methods a bit and I'll be forced to abandon followups. This does not change anyone's right to respond.

A few people have asked me for more detail on what happened in August. The way the doctors described it to me was that I had a birth defect in the form of a fingernail sized dent in my aorta. When my aorta tore it went from the start of the aorta to the end. I made it to the hospital with just enough time to consent to surgery and call my family. I was brain dead, or at least showed as brain dead for three days after the surgery. I was told shortly after waking up that I wouldn't walk again because the nerves in my leg were destroyed from lack of circulation. I proved the doctor's wrong, as I'm back walking this month.

I'm planning to finish my PhD this year if the school will let me. I hope I'll see everyone again later this year!

-Brenton

For those following my PhD I'm sorry I'm late getting back to you again.

On August 26th I suffered an Aortic Dissection. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-.....n/con-20032930

As you can imagine that hurt my work schedule. Because I'm ahead of schedule slightly since changing to Huddersfield there's been no real damage done to the PhD. I'm just on medical leave until January, but I plan to keep working.

Sorry for the delayed journal. When I was rushed to Leeds Hospital I didn't take anything with me other than a phone, which I couldn't use effectively because I didn't have contact lenses.

This is just an update for interested parties and those that have been interviewed.

So as it turns out, transferring schools in a post/approaching Brexit UK isn't the easiest thing to do for Americans. I'm quite literally up to my antlers in red tape at the moment and having to commute back and forth between Aberystwyth and Huddersfield.

As you may imagine, this is cutting into my time for research and I've been instructed to handle this first, then get the transcripts/followup interviews done. Additionally, I need to meet with the Huddersfield ethics board before sending out any of your transcripts or starting followups just as a matter of procedure. At this point in my research, I think it's a good thing to gain a year by transferring. Given how chaotic the last three months have been.

Some of you might have noticed that I missed the June update. This occurred because I completely lost track of the date and time. When I haven't been filling out forms I've been working on transcripts and writing notes. I didn't realize a month had gone by until my mother informed me on the phone that it was the 4th of July. Such is the life of a secluded academic.

Hermitage and paperwork aside, I can say that I am making progress, if slightly slower than I wanted.

-Brenton

The meeting with my supervisor earlier this month yielded some unexpected results. My original plan was to do a mixed methodology that used both face-to-face and online interviews to gather data. That methodology changed drastically.

As I'm sure all of you have heard me say the interviews were great. You were all very open and gave me a lot to think about. In fact, the data was so good you all broke my original plan. :) After reviewing the basics of what I'm finding with my supervisor we've decided to skip the online-only interviews and do targeted follow-ups with some of you online. We're not sure who will be picked out for the targeted follow-ups, but I want to state explicitly that if I don't require one with you it's not because your data wasn't useful. Actually, it's the opposite. If I don't require a follow-up with you it's because you gave me everything I needed in the face-to-face interview.

Transcripts will be out as soon as I've been given the okay to send them to you. It's going to be a few months still, because I'm transferring to Huddersfield University with my supervisor and we have to make sure we're meeting their guidelines for this as well.

I've been asked before why I seem to be moving slowly with the research. To be totally honest, I'm slow because I work alone. Early last year I was offered the opportunity to get a research assistant and I refused. I've been told that I could use transcription services and I refused (also the cost for that is insane). Unless I'm very familiar with a research assistant or a transcription aid they're not getting near the data you trusted me with. I've been told twice now that I'm too guarded and stubborn. I think the recent attack on FA proves that I have to be guarded. I work slow, I work alone, but I do it for your safety.

On an unrelated note, I had planned to attend Confuzzled this year. Unfortunately I can't make it out there for a day. I literally just finished packing a bag and had something come up. Maybe next year.

For those that have been interviewed and are waiting for a followup or those that are waiting to be interviewed online:

I will be meeting with my supervisor on the 20th for a final meeting regarding my online methodology. After NordicFuzzCon I started working on the data from the face-to-face interviews and came to a number of conclusions about the online interview process that required a major reworking.

I should be ready to start the final interviews in May, assuming all goes well at the next meeting.

Transcripts should be following a few months later.

For those attending NordicFuzzCon and those that wish to help spread the word:

I'm conducting the final series of anonymized face-to-face interviews at NordicFuzzCon starting tomorrow. I'm anonymizing all the data gathered and I never ask questions that make people feel awkward or embarrassed. The purpose of this PhD study is to gather ethnographic data from Furries new and old from around the world and add it to my own auto-ethnographic data for study. Simply put, I want to hear about your experiences as a Furry. Since I started this program I've called this our stories in our words. My purpose isn't to judge or make any of us look bad, I'm acting as an insider research in the way Paul Hodkinson did for the Goth Community.

If you would like to be interviewed come and find me tomorrow after the opening ceremony. I should be easy to spot, just look for the black suit with rhinestones on the waistcoat collar. If you'd like to talk to me now I'm available to chat in the lobby of Utsikten. Look for the deer waist coat.

Everyone,

My friend here at Aberystwyth University is doing a PhD on fan studies. Her anonymous survey is about to close and she could use more answers:

https://aber.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/viewsonfandom

If you would like to help follow the link above. No personal data is collected, it's just asking broad questions for demographic purposes similar to my study. If you could spread the word that would help her greatly.

Thank you all and keep an eye on your journal feed for my next update about research at NFC!

-Taniger

To everyone that's either taking part in or following the progress of my PhD,

I had originally planned to wait until the University made its announcement, but they're taking a little too long. In January I was called into a group meeting by my PhD supervisor for his post research leave update. During this meeting I was informed that I and my supervisor will be leaving Aberystwyth University and heading to Huddersfield University's new department for Fan Studies.

As you can imagine this was a huge shock, but it's an amazing opportunity. I'm now starting the daunting tasks of getting all the paperwork changed over to attend Huddersfield. This isn't necessarily a hindrance to the PhD's progress, as I'm gaining a few extra months to get settled. It does however change my schedule for followups and online interviews.

At present I'm moving the date for followups and online interviews to sometime after NordicFuzzCon. I'm guessing sometime after I move in June. It's not ideal for me, but I'm currently teaching three courses and balancing the PhD with all the hassle of changing Uni and residences in a foreign country.

I will be contacting everyone with updated contact information as soon as I have a new university email.

Thanks for all the help, support and patience.
-Brenton

For those awaiting transcripts and followup interviews, as well as those awaiting their first Online-interview:

The last few months have been productive, but jarring. In the course of my preparation to conduct interviews online I came to some interesting conclusions about the method and the sources behind it. I won't be going into detail until I've determined whether I'm right or not, but to conduct those followups and interviews now would be robbing all of you of a major chance to contribute. A short discussion with my supervisor confirmed that I need to follow this line of research.

What does this mean for all of you? It means the followups and online interviews will take place after Nordic Fuzzcon. I'm not able to submit until 2017, so there's no rush.

This new line of research also helps ensure my original contribution, which is a major factor for determining whether I get a PhD or walk away with an Mphil.

Hang in there, 2016 is off to a turbulent start but a good one!

For those that have emailed me in the last few days and those that are waiting to see art they drew of me uploaded, I want to apologize about the delay.

I'll spare the gory details, but a few days ago I was involved in an accident. I only just got out of hospital. I'm mostly fine and will be back to work as usual tomorrow.

I don't want to respond to emails from people that are potential interviewees on a public network, for their privacy's sake. I also haven't been able to get some of the drawings people did of me at Eurofurence inked yet.

To everyone that allowed me to interview them and all my friends that assisted with finding interviews, thank you. I couldn't have gotten this far without a lot of help from  Kevva and  RufusBCobber . I am now finished collecting data at major conventions for this year. I will still be gathering data at the monthly WelshFurs Furmeets in Cardiff.

I want to remind interviewees and future interviewees that the followup interviews and online interviews will start around February 2016. I'll have the transcripts for those that have been interviewed ready around that time. If you have questions please feel free to talk to me.

I also want to apologize to the Eurofurence interviewees for not having appeared in my usual, overly formal attire. The way my funding worked out and the baggage restrictions on my flight made it impossible to take all the outfits I normally wear. One person mentioned that they were slightly disappointed I didn't show up with the rhinestone, Jodhpuri suit. I will make sure that the next time I come to a convention I will overdress every day. If this all works out the way I hope you might even see some new outfits before NordicFuzzCon.

For those that are wondering about my convention schedule next year, I and my supervisory team aren't fully certain yet which cons I can get to. At the moment, we know that NordicFuzzCon is a definite. I'm leaning toward Confuzzled again and will do my best to be at Anthrocon. Gold Leaves Con is also on the table for 2016.

Once NordicFuzzCon is over and the followups/online interviews are done I will take the anonymized data to my primary supervisor Prof. Matt Hills and we will determine what the next step is. If he says that I need more data I'll be going to every con I can afford. If I'm done with data gathering, I will see if I can sacrifice the time to come as a normal visitor to at least one con.

I would like to actually go to one of these cons as an attendee again. I have to admit, though, I've had more fun doing this research than I ever did as a normal con-goer. For me, getting to sit down and hear from other people about their views and their experiences is so much more interesting than panels or shows. My favorite thing about conventions is just wandering and talking to people.

I hope to see all of you at WelshFurs and if not there I hope I see all of you in 2016.

-Taniger

I'm open for interviews until 16:30 and after 17:30. If you're interested you will have to let me know quickly. I'm available right now but that will change fast.

Thanks to all my interviewees and the people that helped me! You're more important than you'll ever know. Special thanks again to  Kevva for being a constant help and never letting an opportunity for a good joke pass by.

If you've spoken to me, you have a slot. If you want to be interviewed, you can find me in the morning around 6:30am at breakfast and wandering the lobby after. If you haven't got a slot it's first come, first served.

This does not mean you cannot be interviewed if you miss me tomorrow or decide later to be interviewed. Starting around February 2016 I will be conducting followup interviews with previous interviewees and online interviews with those that wish to be interviewed without being face to face.

I'm heading back to Aber on the 24th and I'll be sorry to see Berlin behind me. The food and the people are a joy and Eurofurence is a wonderful thing. It really puts Furry in perspective when you see people that can't even talk to each other due to a language barrier helping one another improve their art.

To everyone that's helping me and to everyone that's been interviewed, thank you for what you've done. I'm right at the goal for this convention, but there's no upper limit on interviews. Everyone is invited. If I have to go print more sheets I'll do it. This isn't about numbers, beyond the fact that I need a workable sample size.

I know it's scary to sit down and talk to someone with all the bad press we've gotten. I've conducted this research at so many major cons, in so many countries, meeting people I've admired since I was a kid, talking to people I've known, and meeting new and interesting people. Out of all those countries, all those cons, and all those people I've never had a bad interview. I've never felt like someone didn't matter or didn't belong.

If you're considering being interviewed or feel scared, let me say up front there's no judgment or accusations in my interview space. I'm not here for that and I don't want to be that. I'm asking questions that anyone can answer in the way they feel most comfortable. I'm not asking about sex or sexuality. I'm not going to out you or tell people what you've said. Everything is anonymous and everything is optional. If you don't want to talk about something or don't want to answer a question that's your right. Tell me what I'm supposed to be asking for instead.

These interviews are just a chat in a friendly space. I have questions, but you tell me what's important. You tell me what I need to know. You're the only person that can tell me your story and share your experiences. I'm just here to figure out how those stories fit together and see what it looks like in the end.

I'm here through the Dead-dog party. Come talk to me if you have questions.

I'm still short of the number of interviews I was hoping for at Eurofurence. If you're attending or know people who are it would really help if word was spread around. For those that are wondering about the sorts of questions I ask; I can't, as a matter of methodology, tell the questions up front. I can say that I followed Anthrocon's rules for academic coverage and I don't ask questions regarding sexuality, sex in general, or anything else that would be considered distasteful or embarrassing. This project is only looking at the stories and experiences of Furries around the world. The term interview, in this and the academic sense is relatively loose. This is more or less just getting together with people and discussing Furry for roughly an hour. I do have a question schedule, but each interview is more focused on people telling me what is important.

A lot of people that are new to the fandom, less active, unknown, or consider themselves to be common or "less furry" tell me they don't think their input would be important. To that, I say that no one's data is more or less important. There's no one group that I hold above the others, no specific type of Furry that I need, and no year limit on experience. Someone who just joined the fandom yesterday has data that's every bit as important as someone like me that's been in Furry since 1994.

I don't have a press badge for Eurofurence, as O'Wolf and the directors didn't think the project would require it. I will, however, try to get a badge of some sort just flag myself a little easier. Look for the elk pattern waistcoat and tie if you're trying to find me.

Cheers,
Taniger

For those going to Eurofurence,

I will be arriving in Berlin on the 18th and leaving on the 24th. I should be open for interviews shortly after I get checked in and find dinner.

I will be conducting interviews in my room at the Estrel. I don't know my room number yet, but I will post an update here when I have it.

The interview process takes roughly one hour to an hour and a half. It really depends on how much you have to say. I don't ask anything that would make anyone uncomfortable and I don't ask for personal info. Interviewees aren't named, nor are their fursonas. Interviewees are given a random number and allowed to give a preferred name, but if I think it's too easy to trace back to the interviewee I will redact it.

I'm asking questions about fursonas and experiences in the Furry community. I'm not writing anything sensational or weird. This is purely an academic study and the main project of my PhD at Aberystwyth University. The purpose of this study is simply to tell our stories in our words and apply theory to it. I've conducted this research at the local WelshFurs monthly Furmeets, Confuzzled, and most recently Anthrocon. I've never had any problems or complaints and the meet/convention staff have been very supportive at each.

If you'd like to schedule an interview before the con you can contact me here. Otherwise, just find me at Eurofurence. I'm generally pretty hard to miss.

To everyone I interviewed or interested in the project,

I can say that Anthrocon was a success from a research standpoint. I met my target number of interviews and gathered some of the best data to date in the study. For those interviewed, I will be sending out transcripts in the coming months. It's likely going to be later this year or next. I don't have a hard date set, due to the project still being in the early stages. Keep your contact method up-to-date with me and I'll ensure you get the transcript.

For those that are wondering where you can find me next, I will be at Eurofurence next month! I hope to see everyone there.

For now, I have lots of data to work through and interviews to transcribe. Thank you to everyone that did an interview and helped me spread the word about the project. Even though I didn't get to do a single thing con-related I think I had more fun at the convention just working with all of you. I sincerely hope you are all aware of how interesting and important you really are.

-Brenton "Taniger" Spivey

To everyone that assisted me by being interviewed and helping me gather interviews, I want to say sincerely thank you. I've been hard at work getting as much done as I can since Thursday.

In particular, I want to thank all my Euro-friends:  staghorne  quiran  kevva for being absolutely tireless in helping me for no other reason than they wanted to. You lot are why I tell people to travel. I can't imagine making better friends in a shorter span of time anywhere else. I can vouche that these guys are scholars, saints, and gentlemen of the highest caliber and I will see all of you again, many times.

 Kazee You're the coolest, nicest asshole I ever met. I never curse, so that's a high compliment. :P (This is an inside joke. :) )

 Archeus68, you and  crazyjoe1952 are easily the most interesting and impressive people in the world. I hope we can meet up again.

 Cuprohastes I learned more from you in ten minutes than I think most people do in undergrad. If you're ever in Aber, please say hello!

For those that are familiar and those that are just finding out,

I am Taniger, otherwise known as Brenton Spivey. I'm a twenty-year Furry and third year PhD student and I'm conducting interviews for my PhD this year at Anthrocon. My area of study is us (Furries) as a community and I'm doing an ethnographic and auto-ethnographic study of Furries from as a many countries as I can visit. I'm enrolled at Aberystwyth University, my supervisors are Prof. Matt Hills and Dr. Kate Egan, and I received my ethics approval through Aberystwyth's ethics board last year.

This will be the fourth round of interviews for the PhD. Most of them have been conducted at the Welsh Furs' monthly Furmeet in Cardiff and I recently conducted interviews at Confuzzled in Birmingham.

If you would like to be interviewed feel free to contact me here or just meet up with me at Anthrocon. All the data is anonymized, meaning your name and your fursona name won't be used in the study and I'm not collecting personal data. I'm interested in you as a Furry, your thoughts, and your experiences. I like to think of this as us telling our stories in our own words.

The interview process takes roughly one hour. Some are quicker, some are longer. It just depends on what you have to say. It's fairly informal, giving you the chance to say what you want and add what you feel is important. Additionally, I offer the chance to redact, withdraw and respond. For redaction, I will show you your interview transcript and how I have theorized the data and you may remove statements as you see fit. Response is the neatest one, allowing you to write an amendment to the PhD document which goes in unedited allowing you to say what you want regardless of whether you agree with me, disagree, or just want to add something. Lastly you have the right to withdraw any and all data up until the point that the PhD document is handed in or any secondary documents are published.

I'm legally responsible for ensuring the privacy of my interviewees and I'm not writing the PhD to be sensational or make fun of us as a community. I've got too much time and money invested in this project and to be perfectly frank, this is my career. This isn't about making us look good or bad, this is about academic study of our community.

I want to thank all of my interviewees at Confuzzled, as well as the Confuzzled staff for helping me and being so nice to me. I don't show emotion too well, but you guys have no idea how much it means to me that you were willing to not only sit down and talk to me, but help me get more interviews. It will be a little while before I release my numbers and the theoretical stuff, but my PhD supervisor looked at the data I sent him and told me, "Well done". Coming from him, that's the highest compliment I could ever receive.

Confuzzled was a total success. I exceeded my minimum requirements from my supervisor, I got a large and diverse sample, and I got some really interesting interviews done.

My next major convention will be Anthrocon. I just got my email telling me that AC staff had given me their approval to conduct research there. For those that don't know what I look like I will post a picture to FA in my scraps of the outfits I'm wearing each day.

If you don't think your data is important to this study, you're wrong. Furries of all sorts are not only welcome but needed! Young (though over 18 years of age due to Aberystwyth guidelines), old, new furs, gray-muzzles... Everyone has something to say. This isn't just me, this is a project for our Community. I've been Furry for 20 years, if this were just about me I'd do an autoethnography and be done with it. You, individually, cannot measure how important your contribution could be. Think for a moment, what if your data has some experience that's just uncommon enough to change how the theories work out? What if you word your experience entirely different from someone else and it completely changes how my thought process runs for this? Your experience is just as important as mine or any other fur's.

See you all at AC! And by the way, Confuzzled 2016 is going to be wicked awesome. I'm totally going back.

Hey, everyone.

It's been a while since my last journal but but I thought it would be a good idea to put this up. I will be at Confuzzled later today until the 26th. If you're in the area or have friends in the area that would like to be interviewed let me know here or just find me in person. I should be fairly easy to spot.

I've done a few interviews in Cardiff already and none of my interviewees found the process invasive or objectionable. In fact, they all regarded it as a positive experience. If you have questions for me feel free to ask.

See you at Confuzzled!

Good morning!

This is just a minor update for those watching me. I won't be sending out official emails yet, but I thought it would be nice to have some activity on my page.

It is my hope to start scheduling all of you for interviews in late February. Interviews won't begin until May, due to the Uni timeline here at Aberystwyth. I will be presenting the pre-interview stages of my research in March at a conference in the National Library of Wales. Following the conference, I have a deadline for chapters, which I can proudly say are in their final proofreading stages now.

The Furry conventions are clustered fairly close together during the Summer. I have planned and scheduled for attendance with Welshfurs May Fur-meet, Confuzzled, Anthrocon, and Eurofurence. If you're attending these conventions and have an hour free let me know. I will do my best to schedule interviews at your first preference. For those of you that won't have the opportunity to sit down and talk with me in person I will be arranging Skype based interviews.

I would prefer that these interviews be done with recorded audio. Text based interviews are more difficult to do based on the relatively slow nature of questions and responses. I can also assure you that the interview recordings will never be heard by anyone other than myself and my supervisors Prof. Matt Hills and Dr. Kate Egan. Aberystwyth's data protection policy is thorough and aggressively enforced. All recordings will be destroyed after the data is gathered. Again, I'm legally obligated to protect your data and your privacy. I have way too much time and money invested into this project to let anything happen.

For those of you that have questions or concerns feel free to contact me at bns1 [AT] aber [DOT] AC [DOT] UK. I'm generally very quick to answer emails.

I'll be in touch soon!
-Brenton