Methodology

Data was collected from user centreoftheselights on Archive Of Our Own. This was then analyzed with Python and ChatGPT and formatted into a CSV. This CSV was then converted into a text file, and a Javascript program was written around it allowing users to generate a chart using the data.

The domain names was provided courtesy of get.tech/mlh, and the website is hosted through Hostinger. All graphics and art where done manually - the backgrounds in Inkscape, and specific ship art done in Sketchbook Pro (previously Autodesk Sketchbook).

GitHub - github.com/muaazabed/fanalysis

Future Improvements

In the future, we would like to:

  • Add streaming (Spotify, Netflix, etc) data to relevant franchises

  • Add the ability to compare multiple franchises at once

  • Sort fandoms by type (eg. Anime, Band, TV Series, Movie)

  • Give users the ability to download graphs

  • Collect more nuanced data throughout time, going from a yearly to monthly basis and allowing filtering based on different major ships within a fandom.

Why Fanalysis?

Fandom is an integral part of art, and we wanted to analyze it as such.

Fanfiction is a medium that is often derided for its allowance of wish fulfillment and amateurish writing. This mindset, however, ignores the uncomfortable truth that what occurs in fanfiction reflects the will of the fans. This is to say that in the media that consumers create, one can see what they desire. That is the inspiration behind Fanalysis—allowing creators to analyze fanfiction statistics to best determine what influences their fandom, and allowing participants in the fandom to better understand how their community responds to different events.

Fanalysis offers an overview on some of the most popular franchises in the fanfiction space. Users can view things like fan engagement through works released over time, as well as viewing what events spurred greater fan engagement. Through this data, the user can make more informed decisions about their IP.

Who We Are

Muaaz Abed is a Computer Science major/ Literature minor at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is a writer from AMP - even if his draft is currently 2 days overdue.

Muaaz Abed
Rainier Pederson

Rainier Pederson is a Computer Science and Mathematics dual-degree at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is the CTO and Web Editor for The Retrograde and was previously the Web Editor for The Mercury. One day, he will get to sleep at a normal hour, but not this weekend.

Fanalysis