University of Texas at Austin

This Early Career Development grant will provide support for Assistant Professor Megan Winget to study the collection and preservation of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. Currently, preservation models for many types of digital creations focus on the "end" product, resulting in the loss of most of the artifacts from the creative process. This becomes especially problematic as an increasing number of digital products have no definite "completion." Using ethnographic research techniques, the investigator will seek to better understand the video game industry's methods, behaviors, and attitudes for the purpose of building more meaningful models of collection and preservation of complex, community-built digital creations. This research carries the promise of informing a wide array of issues in digital preservation, from digital media art to immersive learning environments.