International Anime Research Project

Update (November 3, 2024): The 2024 Preliminary Results are posted. Click here. 

Welcome to the International Anime Research Project.

Who We Are

The International Anime Research Team is a multidisciplinary team of scientists studying the anime/manga fandom (as well as other fandoms). Have you ever wondered what others in the fandom thought? This project will help answer that question with respect to various topics. We utilize multiple research methodologies from psychology, anthropology, and sociology to examine the reciprocal influence of fans and fandoms. The anime/manga project focuses on various aspects of how anime fans perceive the fandom, interact with other fans, how the fandom influences the self, along with a variety of other research questions aimed at understanding the connection to anime. Furthermore, we compare fandoms (e.g., sport, gaming, science fiction) to explore the similarities and differences between fandoms with the aim to understand the underlying relationships common to all fans.

Are you Real?

Yes, we are real scientists. And yes, it is part of our jobs to go to conventions and talk to lots of fans. We are grateful to have received the support of A-Kon and AnimeFest. A goal of the project is to disseminate findings from the anime community to the anime community. Findings from the project will be shared for free in the The Phoenix Papers, at future conferences, and on this website.

What is on this Website?

Preliminary results from past surveys are posted on the past results page. These are results that we put together soon after the data is collected. We then work to put together longer (more in depth) papers about the collected responses for The Phoenix Papers (you can download these from the publications page). You can sign up for email notifications below if you would like to be emailed when papers/results are posted (or follow on  Facebook, Bluesky,  Twitter, and/or Tumblr). We hope this site will continue to grow into a storehouse for empirical data for anime/manga research for interested fans and researchers alike.

Update Notifications? (Don't worry, we don't spam... only major updates)

If you would like to receive email notifications when any major additions (e.g., papers/results) to the site are posted, you can sign up for our google groups email list by either...

1. Click Here to Subscribe for Email Notifications

Or...

2. Send an email to: anime-research+subscribe@googlegroups.com

You can also receive updates by following us on Facebook, Bluesky,  Twitter, and/or Tumblr.

Upcoming?

We'll be at AnimeFest (Arlington, TX) July 25-28, 2024.