IFANS: Mapping K-pop’s International Fandom is a scholarly research project that examines global fan attitudes and activities through surveys, collection of information on online communities and analysis of websites.  Crystal S. Anderson, PhD (Elon University) is the Principal Investigator of the studies and Curator of the iFans project site.

The Study*

While there are many global fans of K-pop, individual K-pop fandoms are not the same. The Case Studies projects seeks to understand how the fandoms differ from one another and their relationship to the groups they support. It focuses on the following groups, all of whom have global, active fanbases and represent a range of K-pop groups: 2NE1, Aziatix, BigBang, Epik High, f(x), MBLAQ, SHINee, SNSD, SS501, Shinhwa, Super Junior and TVXQ.

If you are fan of multiple groups, you should take the iFans Case Studies Survey. It takes about 10 minutes and asks questions about the 12 K-pop groups listed above.

If you want to share your opinions about your favorite/bias group, you can also take one of the following individual group surveys, which asks for more in-depth opinions about the following groups:

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If you have already taken the iFans Case Studies Survey or answered additional questions about individual groups, thank you for your participation!

The Digital Humanities Project

K-pop is a global phenomenon, but currently there is no resource that centralizes information on online K-pop fandoms. The Case Studies Exhibit provides digital tours and analysis of selected fansites that support 12 K-pop groups.

Watch the progress of both projects on KPK and the Omeka site, IFANS: Mapping K-pop’s International Fandom.

*This human subject research has been reviewed by the Institutional Review Board at Elon University. Click here for study documentation.