A Swarm of Scholars: Adopting & Improving on the Swarm Method of Collaborative Qualitative Research

This session introduces the swarm methodology and discusses its viability as a qualitative approach to research involving large, ephemeral events. It will also encourage interdisciplinary relationship-building and the elaboration of applications of the swarm methodology by integrating ideas from diverse fields including marketing, international business, organizational behavior, strategy, and social issues. This collaborative caucus session will invite attendees to identify potential swarm targets and research programs, ideally resulting in the conceptualization and seeding of at least one new swarm project (Steps 1 and 2 of the swarm research process; see Kilker, 2009; Exploring a new methodology: Background, planning and lessons from the 2007 tradeshow ‘swarm’ project).