ABSTRACT
In the study of participatory cultures, reflection on one’s own membership and role within the communities is needed. I propose that mixed-methods research is essential when doing research on fan communities. The combination of different types of qualitative data and close reading is essential. This study is structured as an ethnography – applied in a broad sense as the study of lived cultures – by using relevant methods such as participant observation, insider ethnography, and qualitative interviewing. The role of the researcher as a fan herself is discussed as well. Finally, I advance geek feminism as a methodological stance, one that effectively connects the endeavours of researchers and informants, a scholar and her subjects.
