Did you guys know that a group of researchers analysed our chats and published this article, makes interesting reading if you can make your way through it!
Thought it only fair to share!

http://http://www.questia.com/librar...n-contemporary

Hmmm, the link wouldn't work for me.

I wonder if that was the one that raised some issues about ethical approval and confidentiality ...

http://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-321057322/ping-pong-poms-emotional-reflexivity-in-contemporary

Can you provide a link that we can click on? Can't get this to work on my ipad

You can copy and paste Holly's link into your browser, or try clicking here.

It doesn't give you access to the full article - you have to sign up for a "Free Trial" to get that.

To be honest, any frequent users of BritishExpats could have come to the same conclusions as they did, without needing a PhD.

http://www.questia.com/library/journ...n-contemporary

is the link, but watch out, to read the full article you have to follow a link, and sign up for a trial period, which appears to be free.

Here is the full pdf to look at. Makes interesting reading I think. Didn"t know we were being spied on though!
Apparently we are using our emotion to guide our decisions and rules and this forum is where we work it all out.

Thanks the link worked unfortunately couldn't read full article like you said but just not worth signing up to read it

See above!

I would say so.

Page 6

"The committee decided that as we were only looking at publicly accessible posts on the forum, not member‑only areas, ethics approval was not required.
Questions nevertheless remain about using such data without the knowledge or consent of the forum members. However, we would argue that because of their public character, ethical ‘covert’ research is possible with such sources, if treated carefully"


Seems reasonable enough to me. Everybody knows this is a public forum.

I personally think it was worth it for the insights provided by the researchers. It would be nice to be informed however, and also to have access to this study. Though this may have been done. I guess our 'raw material' is being used it therefore it would be nice to be able to benefit/ know that this study exists.

I speed read the report and my response is "so what?"

From what I can see, fewer people are coming to Oz and more are going back to UK... they miss family, don't feel they belong and realize the grass isn't greener.

As others have said, I doubt any of us on BE needed a study paper to figure that.

What's the point of the study? Where is it published? Is anyone going to do anything with it? What's news?

Huh, groundbreaking!? People use their feelings as part of their decision making process, well, who knew! My only surprise is that they haven't diagnosed pathological reflexivity and demanded that there be a category in DSMV to pigeon hole those who decide to move on!