Prospectus and Final Map Render

Abstract
The purpose of this prospectus is to give an overview of my field research plans in Second Life. My main focus will be on the Rastafarian culture. I will be showing how the advancements in technology, specifically the use of Second Life, allows people from all around the world to connect and share in their interests. This prospectus will explain the Second Life software, what I plan to do with it, and the pros and cons of using Second Life to perform field research.
Introduction
Just as the name Second Life suggests, people in this virtual world are acting out another life. The first step would be to create your avatar. The avatar is the physical presence of you in-world. You are able to create, shape, and dress your character into any imaginable form. Short and fat or skinny and tall, you are the sculptor. You are then able to dress them with a wide array of clothing, costumes, and accessories. For some the these items you will need Second Life’s form of currency, Lindens. Once you acquire some Linden, you can then purchase land, automobiles, houses, etc. to show your status. After you have established yourself, you are able to search through endless groups and communities until you pinpoint one that best suits you. These communities and groups hold special events from time to time that allow you to interact with others who have common interests. These include, but are not limited to: dancing, live music, games, and special sales.
Method
I will be studying the Rastafarian religion and cultures in Second Life by observing their communities, specifically "xxxxxxxxx". I will focus primarily on the customs related to this culture and how they are brought into and carried out through Second Life. The Rastafarians are a very small portion of all of the communities Second Life has to offer, but through observing them, I will get a general overview of how the rest of these communities of practice operate and conduct daily activities. Will Second Life be an effective tool or place for communities to congregate?
According to socialresearch.net, “Field research can also be considered either a broad approach to qualitative research or a method of gathering qualitative data. the essential idea is that the researcher goes "into the field" to observe the phenomenon in its natural state or in situ. As such, it is probably most related to the method of participant observation. The field researcher typically takes extensive field notes which are subsequently coded and analyzed in a variety of ways.” I will be adapting these techniques to the virtual world of Second Life. I plan to attend as many events as possible or observe at high traffic times. By witnessing these events, you will be able to see if the "xxxxxxx" group practices any Rastafarian customs and how they
Security precautions need to be taken into account as well. Permission must be granted from everyone in the community in order to make observations legally. I will be writing up specific agreements based on the role of the avatar in the community. These must be signed, dated, and returned in order to perform any observations or note taking. My notes will also be revised so that no distinct avatar or location will be distinguishable in-world. Avatars will be replaced with representational, fictional names.
I will be examining "xxxxxxxxx" at times of high population and times of less population. I feel this is the best way to conduct observations, because the two can be compared and you will see if certain functions only happen when many group members convene. Most examinations will be conducted between 2:00 p.m. Second Life time and 6:00 p.m. Second Life time, only because this is ordinarily the time slot when events are held here. The research should be split into four parts. The first section would be allotted for fieldwork and note taking in Second Life. The second would be designated to the breaking down of information into categories for review. For the third, we will go back to the community of study and observe once again. This makes for the most productive research. Finally, for the fourth section, we will go over all of the combined observations and reach a conclusion or inference. The actual observing will take less time than the data processing, therefore, more time should be set aside for evaluating facts and figures. Any literature related to cultures, customs, and religions would be advantageous while processing and comparing data, especially those relating to Rastafarians.
Limitations
However, there appear to be a few limitations to this study. If members of the group deny the permissions, I will be unable to observe and record their actions. If I am lacking recorded observations, it will be difficult to elaborate on and compare the data. Something I have noticed that could be a potential setback, is the lack of thorough answers to questions. I have received vague, short answers to my questioning thus far. This could be due to the members not having the answers to my questions or not being able to put them into words. A percentage of the population speak a foreign language and use a translator which converts their text into English. Things can be lost in translation. Communicating with those who speak a foreign language will be exceptionally challenging and inconsistent at best. Another issue that will be a hard workaround, is the real life location of members. If group members are sporadically located around the world, it will be tough to find common meeting times to observe. The last thing I find to be a limitation, is the lack of variety. If the group only meets to dance or the events are unchanging, the observations will feel monotonous and the answers to the questions I have about this community will be inferior.
Discussion
The completed research should answer the ambiguity people have about online communities and Rastafarians. As technology advances, communicating and coming together with people around the world becomes less of a fantasy and more of a reality. Second Life should make this process less complicated and very beneficial. People may feel more comfortable opening up and expressing themselves with the mask of an avatar. The avatar allows for a lower amount of discrimination and makes it easier to be a part of unfamiliar communities. There is an absence of information about communities of practice in a virtual world. This fieldwork specifically focuses on the Rastafarians and hopes to answer some of these uncertainties.