Canon Fodder – Fandom, Faith & Digital Connection

Participant Information Sheet

Canon Fodder: The Convergence of Fandom & Faith in the Digital Age – A Comparative Study of Star Trek and Modern Belief Systems

What is this study about?

This research explores how digital media influences community engagement and belief systems within fan communities. We are interested in understanding how people interact online, form communities, and develop shared beliefs through their participation in fan-related activities.

Who is conducting this research?

Principal Researcher: Rich Matthews — R.P.Matthews@pgr.bham.ac.uk
Research Supervisor: Dr Chris Nunn — c.nunn@bham.ac.uk

Who can take part?

You are eligible if you: are aged 18 or over, are attending Star Trek Las Vegas 2026 (60th Anniversary Convention), are an English speaker, self-identify as part of a fan community, and are willing to provide informed consent.

Important: You must be aged 18 or over to take part. If you are under 18, you are not eligible to participate.

What does participation involve?

Stage 1 – Survey (15–18 minutes): You will complete a digital survey covering your experiences with fan communities, digital media use, and related beliefs.

Stage 2 – Video Interview (15–30 minutes, optional): A recorded video interview where we discuss your survey responses in more depth. You may pause or stop the recording at any time.

Other research activity at the convention

Environmental filming: The researcher will take photographs and short video clips of convention spaces to document the atmosphere. This focuses on physical spaces rather than individuals. Any identifiable individuals captured incidentally will have their faces blurred.

Online observation: The researcher observes publicly available online discussions about Star Trek fandom (Reddit, Discord). This involves reading public posts to understand broader themes and does not involve collecting usernames or identifiable information.

Is participation voluntary?

Yes, completely voluntary. You can withdraw at any time up to the deadline without giving a reason. You have 30 days after participation to withdraw your data. Final withdrawal deadline: 11 September 2026.

How do I withdraw?

Contact the researcher at R.P.Matthews@pgr.bham.ac.uk with your participant ID or participation date. The researcher will respond within 48 hours and delete your data within 7 days. You can withdraw survey data and video data separately.

How will my data be used?

For academic research (journals, conferences), possible creative practice projects, and educational purposes. Your data will not be used for commercial purposes or shared with third parties.

Will my information be kept confidential?

Yes. Personal information is kept separate from research data. All data anonymised for publications. You are assigned a participant code. Only the research team has access to identifiable data.

Data storage

All data stored on secure, password-protected university servers for 10 years. Video recordings in encrypted formats with restricted access. Compliant with UK GDPR and US IRB standards.

Risks and benefits

Risks are minimal. Some questions may prompt reflection on personal topics — skip any you wish. By participating, you contribute to research that aims to better understand fan communities and challenge stereotypes. There is no financial compensation.

Questions or concerns?

Researcher: Rich Matthews — R.P.Matthews@pgr.bham.ac.uk
Supervisor: Dr Chris Nunn — c.nunn@bham.ac.uk

Consent Form — Stage 1: Survey

Please read each statement carefully and check the box if you agree. All items are required to proceed.

Please check all boxes to confirm your consent before proceeding.

Stage 2: Video Interview Consent

This stage is optional. If you do not wish to participate in a video interview, you may skip this section.

Q1. Are you comfortable being filmed during our conversation?

Yes, completely comfortable Yes, but prefer certain topics off-camera Uncertain – would like to discuss first No, prefer audio-only recording No recording at all

Q2. If filmed, how would you prefer to be identified in any resulting work?

Pseudonym, full appearance Pseudonym, face obscured Complete anonymity

Video Usage Permissions

If you consent to filming, please indicate how your footage may be used:

Section A — Demographics

All demographic questions are optional — they help contextualise responses across different fan community segments.

Q3. Age

Q4. Location (City, Country)

Q5. Primary Fan Communities (select all that apply)

Science Fiction (Star Trek, Star Wars, etc.) Fantasy (LOTR, Harry Potter, etc.) Superhero / Comics Gaming Music / Artists Sports Religion / Spirituality Other

Q5b. Is Star Trek your primary fan community?

Yes No One of several equally important fandoms

Section B — Community & Digital Behaviour

Q7. How often do you engage with fan communities online?

Q8. Primary platforms for fan engagement (select all that apply)

Q9. Which describes your typical online fan activity? (select all that apply)

Reading / consuming content Commenting / discussing Creating content (fanfic, art, videos) Sharing / promoting content Organising / moderating communities Arguing / debating interpretations Supporting creators financially

Q10. Parasocial Relationships — Rate your agreement

1 = Strongly Disagree → 5 = Strongly Agree

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"I feel a personal connection to creators of content I love"

"I think about favourite creators/characters during daily life"

"I feel protective of creators/franchises I support"

"I feel upset when creators are criticised unfairly"

"Social media makes me feel closer to creators"

Section C — Canon, Authority & Interpretation

Q11. How familiar are you with the term "canon" in fan contexts?

Very familiar – I use it regularly Somewhat familiar – I understand it Heard it but unsure of meaning Not familiar at all

Q12. In your main fandom, who decides what's "official" or "canon"? (select all that apply)

Original creator(s) Current corporate owners Fan community consensus Official publications / media Long-time fans No one – it's all interpretation Other

Q13. How do you feel when official sources contradict your personal interpretation?

Frustrated – they got it wrong Accepting – it's their creation Indifferent – I keep my interpretation Excited – new perspectives Confused – unsure what to believe Other

Q14. Rate importance when deciding what to accept as "true" in your fandom

1 = Not Important → 5 = Very Important

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Creator's original intent

Current official releases

Fan community discussions

Your personal interpretation

Consistency with established lore

Emotional resonance

Section D — Religious / Spiritual Parallels

Q15. Do you see similarities between fan communities and religious communities?

Yes, many similarities Some similarities Few similarities No similarities Never thought about it Uncomfortable with comparison

Q17. Has engagement with fictional worlds influenced your real-world values?

Yes, significantly Yes, somewhat Maybe slightly No, not really No, they're completely separate Unsure

Q18. Have you ever engaged in practices inspired by fictional worlds? (select all that apply)

Meditation / mindfulness techniques Moral / ethical principles Ritual or ceremonial activities Philosophy or worldview adoption Community service / activism None of the above Prefer not to answer

Section E — Digital Age & Commercialisation

Q19. How has social media changed your fan experience?

Made it much more intense Made it somewhat more intense No significant change Made it less intense Made me step back from fandom Other

Q20. Rate your agreement

1 = Strongly Disagree → 5 = Strongly Agree

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"Algorithms influence what fan content I see"

"Corporate decisions affect my fan experience"

"Fan communities feel more commercialised now"

"Technology helps me connect with like-minded people"

Q21. How do you feel about corporate ownership of beloved franchises?

Very concerned about profit motives Somewhat concerned Mixed feelings Generally accepting Don't think about it much Other

Q22. Has commercialisation affected your relationship with fandoms?

Yes, I'm more critical now Yes, I'm more protective Made me more selective No significant change Actually enhanced it Other

Section F — AI & Future Considerations

Q23. If AI could perfectly recreate deceased creators, would you want to interact with them, and how would this affect canon?

Yes, and AI-generated content should be fully accepted as canon Yes, but AI content should be accepted with disclaimers Interesting to interact with, but AI content shouldn't be official No, I would not want to interact with AI recreations Unsure / conflicted

Section G — Location & Place

Q24. How important are physical locations in your fan experience?

Very important – specific places have special meaning Somewhat important – some locations matter Neutral – location doesn't affect my fandom much Not important – my fandom is primarily digital Never thought about it

Q25. Have you made trips specifically for fan-related purposes? (select all that apply)

Conventions / events Filming locations Creator birthplaces / homes Museums / exhibitions Fan community meetups None of the above

Q26. How does being in Las Vegas affect your convention experience?

Enhances it significantly – the city adds to the experience Enhances it somewhat – nice backdrop Neutral – just a convenient location Detracts slightly – distracting environment Detracts significantly – conflicts with my fan identity First time here, unsure

Q27. How do you personally document your fan experiences? (select all that apply)

Photographs of events, people, merchandise Videos of panels, performances, interactions Social media posts and stories Written notes or journalling Audio recordings or voice memos Collecting physical memorabilia I don't document my experiences Other

Section I — Your Voice

These open-ended questions are where your unique perspective really matters. Write as much or as little as you like.

Q28. Describe a moment when your fandom felt most meaningful to you:

Q29. How would you explain your fandom to someone who doesn't understand it?

Q30. What drew you to this specific event, and do you see connections between different communities here?

Section J — Follow-Up Participation

Q31. Would you be interested in participating in follow-up research?

Yes, in-person interview Yes, via video call Yes, via email Maybe – contact me with details No thank you

Q32. Contact information (optional — only if you selected yes above)

Thank you for your time. Your responses will contribute to academic research on fan communities and digital culture. Remember: you can withdraw your data within 30 days by contacting R.P.Matthews@pgr.bham.ac.uk with your participant ID.

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Transmission Complete

Your responses have been securely recorded. Thank you for contributing to this research.

Your Participant ID:

Please note this ID — you will need it to request data withdrawal.

Withdrawal deadline: 11 September 2026

Contact: R.P.Matthews@pgr.bham.ac.uk