Am I eligible to take part in the study?
We would love to have you be part of this project! To be eligible, you need to be graduating from an undergraduate program in video games at an American or Canadian postsecondary institution in the 2021/22 academic year. The program can be a degree, diploma, or certificate related to some aspect of video game design, development, or study. So, if you’re enrolled in some fantastic programs like game programming at Digipen or creative writing at USC or game art at Full Sail or game development at the University of Alberta, you are likely eligible for this study if you are graduating this year.
What are the benefits of participating in the study?
Well, for starters, you get to be part of an amazing project and work with an amazing team of people! There’s also the matter of being compensated for your time. We will pay you $50 CAN for the initial interview when you are are still a student. Then, we will pay you $50 CAN for each yearly interview after graduation, for three years for a total $200 CAN. Maybe the best reason though is that you’ll be helping us improve working conditions for new employees in the games industry —people like yourself. You’ll help us identify and document the barriers people face when they first start out. You’ll also help us advise universities and colleges as to how they can better prepare their students for careers in the industry.
Who is organizing this research?
The First Three Years is a collaborative research project conducted by researchers at four Canadian universities: Western University, University of Alberta, University of Waterloo and York University. We also have an amazing community partner, The Higher Education Video Game Alliance (HEVGA). Members of this team have worked together for years and we are excited to be taking on this new and important work.
What to expect if I take part?
Laughter, joy, and small little boxes where you type things about yourself. If you decide to participate, you will be directed to a consent form for you to sign. You will then complete a 5 minute eligibility survey to make sure you fit the study’s research criteria. If everything works out, we will contact you for an interview to ask about your program of study and plans for the coming years. Each year for three years we will again approach you for an interview and short survey to discuss your experiences about your transition from school to the workplace. You will be compensated $50 CND for each year you remain in the study.
Where can I learn more about the study?
Right here on this very website! Check out the Project Summary and the Research Questions sections for more information. When we have research results, we will link to them in our Publications section. If you’re curious to learn more about the problems we are tackling, be sure to check out our Citations page.
How can I get involved?
If you’re interested, just follow this link to complete our eligibility survey.
Do you have ethics clearance for this project from your universities?
You bet we do! You have a whole bunch of rights that we must respect and a code of conduct that we have to follow. Some of your rights include the right to privacy, anonymity, and confidentiality. You can also withdraw from the study at any time, refuse to answer any particular question without consequence, and see any and all data about you that is associated with the project. You also have the right to see any publications that we produce based on your participation in the project. All these rights and more are outlined in the consent documents you will see before you agree to participate.
How can I get in contact with the research team?
You can email us at fty@ualberta.ca or use our contact page on this website.