D&D research recommendations

[Saern]

I have the great pleasure to be involved in a small group which is trying to undertake some D&D-themed academic research, with the hope of presenting it at a college conference this March. We're currently looking at two different "theses", and are trying to decide which to pursue based on the reading load we'll be placing on ourselves. We're a little under the gun, time-wise, so I'm turning to the vast knowledge of the Paizo community for assistance!

A) The first is an examination of some of the reasons D&D (i.e., roleplaying games in general) attract people. The group would like some recommendations to pertinant sociological and psychological books and articles regarding roleplaying games, socialization in small groups, the draws and effects of gambling (because of D&D's heavy use of dice). This isn't so much of an actual thesis yet, as a general area of interest which part of the group would like to explore further. Any suggestions would be a great help, as the members so interested currently have no leads.

B) The second option we're looking at is tracing the game's history in terms of gamism, narrativism, and simulationism. I'm familiar with the terms from many conversations on these very boards, but if someone could name a central article or text they are delineated in, that would be most helpful. We would also appreciate a list of iconic adventures and sources from across the editions which will represent what the "main" focus of the game (at least in terms of official material) during the time of its publication. Specific issues of Dragon with such relevant information (such as Gygax's rant against people roleplaying too much or otherwise not playing the game "right") would be invaluable.

Anhd if anyone wants to go ahead and voice an opinion about which of the two "theses" (the term isn't really applicable to option A yet) will require less reading time, we would also appreciate that as well!

[Tarren Dei]

I don't have any suggestions in regard to your actual question, but a lot of the research done on World of Warcraft could be cited in research on D&D. (No, seriously, it could! Put that table down.)

I think a cool topic to discuss would be how players negotiate race, gender, and identity of their characters in relation to themselves. It would start with asking a bunch of people to 'tell me about your character' etc.

[Logos]

As far as option B goes, As far as I know the use of Gamism, Narrativism, and Simulationism used in conjunction with each other as creative agenda's at the gaming table came from Ron Edwards over at the forge, where there is an extensive backlog of locked forums where you can see how and what they got started as. (behind that their should be bbc logs but im not sure if/where those are whereas the forge is there.)

As far as option A goes, I would find it interesting either pursueing the gambiling option or the process of group formation and standardization (forming,storming,norming and all that jazz) just from my own interest.

As far as the option that would take less reading, probably B, the option that will give you less headaches/more effective/useful resources would probably be A. They shut down the theory forums at the forge because they couldn't nail down a definition for these things (Gaming, Narrativism, and Simulationism) to begin with, I doubt you'll have much more luck.