Twitch Gender Study by Online Performers Group

Screenshot of Data Presentation from http://opgroup.tv/blog/

Scholarly Critique #3.3

Gender Study on Twitch

Online Performers Group

July 2015

This scholarly critique is a bit different from my previous posts, as I reflect on the way Online Performers Group (OPG) has presented the preliminary findings from their Gender Study on Twitch in a blog post. The OPG is a "full-service management resource" for Twitch streamers, and provides a wide range of services including promotional opportunities, career development, stream analysis, and legal advice among others. This developing blog is presented as a space where the OPG plans to share tips on "hardware, quick guides, research, analytical studies of games and streamers, and news."

I found this resource as a result of networking with Twitch community members and found the representation of data from their study to be exceptionally impactful. The framing of the data through the use of the concept of myth vs truth suggests a conflict which immediately captures the reader's attention. The research findings are presented through clear statements with statistics built in rather than referred to in a table. There are no massive bodies of text to navigate, and the language is accessible.

As I am finalizing my own research findings, I am challenged with presenting my data in an equally appealing format. This resource serves as an excellent example for how data can be presented back to the community in a way that is not boring or intimidating. I hope to generate a similar effect in a series of blog posts following the sharing of my full research report. Stay tuned!