Analyzing anime users’ online forum queries for recommendation using content analysis
| Date | 10 September 2018 |
| Published date | 10 September 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-08-2017-0122 |
| Pages | 918-935 |
| Author | Hyerim Cho,Marc L. Schmalz,Stephen A. Keating,Jin Ha Lee |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management,Classification & cataloguing,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Scholarly communications/publishing,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Analyzing anime users’
online forum queries for
recommendation using
content analysis
Hyerim Cho, Marc L. Schmalz, Stephen A. Keating and Jin Ha Lee
Information School, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of relevant information features for
users seeking anime recommendations.
Design/methodology/approach –The study uses content analysis of 396 recommendation request
threads from the online forum at Anime News Network.
Findings –In total, 19 important anime information features were identified, including Work, Theme, Genre,
Audience, Mood, while Artwork/Visual Style, Audio Style, and Language were mentioned less frequently.
However, when mentioned, these codes were discussed with specificity and depth.
Research limitations/implications –This study analyzed a relatively small number of 396 forum records,
without demographic information. Using content analysis of online forum threads written by real users
provided both informational breadth and depth. Future studies would benefit from using content analysis to
investigate unfamiliar multimedia information and user groups.
Practical implications –The findings of this study can be implemented in anime-related databases and
information systems to enhance organization, browsing/retrieval, and recommendation of anime, which can
be further utilized for other audiovisual materials.
Originality/value –This is one of the few studies that investigate what anime users need and want.
This research examines an understudied cultural medium, underserved by current research, despite an
expanding community of anime users.
Keywords Multimedia, Recommendation, Animation, Anime, Content analysis, Information needs,
Query analysis
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
They can be seen on Japanese television morning, noon, or night, as well as on the movie screen and
in video stores. Their viewers are male and female, grade schooler and graduate student, housewife
and businessman. The content can include raucous humor or theological speculation or horrifying
pornography –or all three at once. Their visual quality can be as amateurish as South Park or on
the cutting edge of computer-generated imagery. (Drazen, 2003, p. 7).
Anime, a form of animated entertainment originating in Japan, continues to increase in
global popularity. In 2015, the total market value of the anime industry was US$18.1 billion,
an increase of approximately 12 percent from 2014 (Anime News Network, 2016). A report
from The Association of Japanese Animations (2016) also shows that the anime industry has
been growing for five consecutive years due to the expansion of licensing sales and
streaming rights. In addition to growing revenue, anime also has an increasing number of
live events and digital communities, forums, blogs and websites.
Once a “minor”cultural phenomenon in the USA, anime has become mainstream (Exner,
2012). As anime and manga ( Japanese comic books) h ave become hugely popular, the y are an
increasingly important part of cultural heritage, particularly in recent years (Exner, 2012).
With increased commercial success, academic researchers now examine anime and manga
from scholarly and artistic perspectives (Fennell et al., 2013). Despite growth in popularity,
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 74 No. 5, 2018
pp. 918-935
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/JD-08-2017-0122
Received 18 August 2017
Revised 19 March 2018
Accepted 3 May 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
918
JD
74,5
demand, and calls to provide anime materials to users in the library and information science
domain, there are few studies that examine and define the users of anime.
Understanding what users want is a crucial step for information providers and
specialists, especially when the information is relatively new. The fulfillment of anime users’
needs can be improved in current information systems, especially in libraries. In Exner’s
(2012) study, participants expressed dissatisfaction with libraries’anime genre organization.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) show discrepancies between what users need
and existing subject terms ( further discussed in Relevant Research below). In a similar vein,
libraries now provide community anime events and programs, yet are often uncertain how
the community might best be served (Brehm-Heeger et al., 2007; Kan and Fletcher-Spear,
2002; King and Keller, 2006; Kruse, 2013; Ries-Taggart, 2007). This reveals a serious
problem: current searching and organization systems and relevant library services are not
satisfying anime users’needs.
What we consistently observe is a pronounced gap between the functionality of
institutionaldatabases and recommendation systems andthe robust information requestsand
sharing in anime fan communities. Institutional databases frequently lack descriptions and
categories present in anime fan communities, known for actively sharing anime-related
information and opinions online (e.g. Anime News Network, Anime-Planet, MyAnimeList).
Investigating what these communities discuss and consider important provides an in-depth
understanding of anime users and their information needs. These communities can be
leveraged to createmore robust taxonomies, organizinganime and related media (film, media
arts, web comics, audio books, and video games) in a manner that truly reflect users’needs.
In the study, the authors investigate the information needs of anime fans in an online
anime community. When focusing on anime recommendations, assessing the associated
anime community is critical, as an examination of requests provides clarity regarding
community needs and desires. To provide meaningful search experiences and
recommendation services, it is necessary to understand what the anime community is
looking for and how they are looking for it. Empirical understanding of anime users could be
expanded to related media. The paper intends to address the following research questions:
RQ1. What are the primary information needs of individuals in anime communities
when they seek anime recommendations?
RQ2. How are the information needs of individuals in anime communities implemented
in currently available information systems? Which new features should be
implemented to reflect these needs?
Empirical findings from the study may be implemented in any anime-related
recommendation services, databases, and websites, as well as online public access catalogs.
Relevant research
Anime commonly refers to animation produced in Japan. Davis (2016) defined it as
“Japanese limited-animation, which is a form of animation that utilizes fewer frames than
the classic Disney animation and a variety of other cost-saving techniques”(p. 35). The term
includes “feature films, television shows, and original video animation released to the home
entertainment market”(Brenner, 2007, p. 29).
Anime is typically consideredseparate from westernanimation due to characteristics such
as unique artistic styles and themes, including sadness, environmentalism, and terror (Levi,
2013). Its varied topics are a large part of its appeal, which made female audiences as their
main, stableviewers, contrast to westerncomics. While these featuresdifferentiate animefrom
others, Ruh (2014) stated that it is the intersection of US and Japanese popular culture that
seems to be dri ving anime’s popularity, which can be described with the term mukokuseki.
919
Anime users’
online forum
queries
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