ResearchBTS
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| Name: | Nicole Santero |
| Also Known As: | ResearchBTS |
| Occupation: | academic |
| Medium: | |
| Works: | Armed in ARMY: A Case Study of How BTS Fans Successfully Collaborated to #MatchAMillion for Black Lives Matter, other works |
| Official Website(s): | |
| Fan Website(s): | |
| On Fanlore: | Related pages |
Nicole Santero is an aca-fan and SOC PhD student studying the culture & social structure of ARMY (BTS). She is most known for her Purple Maps, which uses the Trendsmap website and purple lights to show people around the world on Twitter mentioning keywords about ARMY and BTS. She began her work in 2019. She works with a team to conduct surveys and collect data about the fandom.
Santero is a Managing Editor, Peer Reviewer & Marketing Team for The R3 Journal[1]
Articles Featuring ResearchBTS
The (Remote) Interview: Nicole Santero (2020)
In this article[2] posted on August 3, 2020, Nicole Santero details her experience as an ARMY (BTS) and her involvement with other academics in the fandom.
For Nicole Santero, the current COVID-19 pandemic has at least a little upside — the relevant work done by many of the professors and researchers in the School of Public Health is receiving quite a bit of attention. As the school’s director of communications, she understandably is pleased that their work is receiving the credit it deserves.
And on a more personal note, the research she is doing on K-pop (aka Korean pop) fan culture as part of her doctoral work in sociology also is drawing a substantial amount of attention. Santero recently has been interviewed for stories in a variety of media outlets including NPR, Forbes, Aljazeera, Now This, and The Ringer.
Already having researched fandom as part of her master’s studies, this two-time alum, ’13 BA Communication Studies, ’16 MA Journalism and Media Studies, decided to take a closer look at the global music sensation BTS (also known as the Bangtan Boys) — purely for academic reasons, you understand. She invites you to check them out but warns that you, too, may find yourself sliding down the K-pop rabbit hole.
What about BTS, specifically, is so appealing?Just so many things. Aside from their music and choreography, I love what they stand for and represent. They spoke at the United Nations in 2018 and encouraged people around the world to “speak yourself.” I found that message really powerful. They really do their part for speaking up on issues like mental health, anti-violence and other issues that resonate with people. They even had a “Love Myself” campaign and album series that basically turned into a movement. A lot of fans talk about how BTS helped them love themselves and find confidence through their music and message.
BTS donated $1 million to (Black Lives Matter) in June. Then, the following day, the fandom came together and ended up raising another $1 million in approximately 24 hours. That really spoke to the power of this fandom — how organized they are and their ability to take action.
It’s not just BLM, though. Fans do a lot of charity work in the name of BTS — from donations to volunteering at food banks, adopting animals, and raising awareness for environmental causes. It is exciting to see fandom using it power for good and making a positive difference in the world. Fans are intelligent, aware, passionate, diverse, and far beyond what is portrayed in the media.
Tell us about the BTS-related Twitter account that you manage.I run a Twitter account called @ResearchBTS. People don’t generally think of fandom as a “serious” topic, and fan studies definitely are an underappreciated area of study. Through this account, my goal is to showcase the global power and impact of BTS and ARMY through analytics, visualization data, and other sources
Researching BTS has provided you with many opportunities, hasn’t it? Yes! In January, I was one of about 100 individuals from around the world who presented research related to BTS and ARMY at the first-ever BTS Conference in London. My work was titled "#BTS: Social Network Analysis of the ARMY Fandom's Ability to Dominate Voting Activities on Twitter." I currently serve as a managing editor for, The Rhizomatic Revolution Review (R3), a new peer-reviewed journal focused on the art, fandom, economic effects, and sociocultural forces of and surrounding BTS. I've guest lectured for students at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management, and I’ve been invited to guest lecture this fall at the University of Washington's Information School as part of an exciting new class titled "Exploring Information Science Through BTS and K-Pop." I recently also was part of a fan activism panel at the Harry Potter Alliance's annual Granger Leadership Academy.
Academic Works
Criticisms
On April 23, 2021, ResearchBTS became involved in the Emily and her 19 friends (BTS ARMY) situation and faced criticisms from her fellow ARMYs. The criticisms centered around the ethics of academics in fandoms, publicity academics draw to the fandom with their research, and the want for transparency from academics.