Game players may act, reflect and play within the role of a ‘(re)search detective’ , either choosing the Sherlock or the Columbo characters, while using the corresponding strategies of inquiry , which are different but also complementary: that is, the ’deductive Sherlock’ genre of investigation, and/or the ‘inductive Columbo’ styles of research. Both methods are defined through the type of knowledge used and the respective sequence, sharing, interactions, etc.
Published in Chapter:
Sociological (Re)search Games: What, Why, and How to Decide, by Playing Within a Study
Copyright: © 2023
|Pages: 33
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-9166-9.ch006
Abstract
A Research Game is a new genre of serious game, which allows everyone to do research while playing. It is illustrated here via a case study of sociological research using a Sociological (Re)search Game, conducted in an art museum. As for a summary of the content structure, the chapter includes: firstly, an introduction, that informs about the history of this game main pre-projects and versions, in three interconnected phases; secondly, a section establishes some foundations for development of a Sociological (Re)search Game; and three other sections discuss what regards the decision process when playing the game and, at the same time, researching: ‘what to decide,' including the core contents and its subjacent story within the game; ‘why to decide,' which introduces the player to some basic sociological knowledge, mainly some ideas on art processes within a museum, where the game action occurs; and ‘how to decide,' which guides the player to learn some simple methods, in order to better play, but also to learn how to research within a scientific sociological project.