Bonnie Krupa

Researchers will need 400 participants for the phone survey, another 400 for the shadowing and 500 for the media diary, according to Bonnie Krupa, coordinator for the project.

Similar studies have been done in other parts of the country, but this will be the first in the Midwest, Krupa said.

Researchers are hoping the results will show that Delaware County's media usage mirrors national patterns.

Researchers will need 400 participants for the phone survey, another 400 for the shadowing, and 500 for the media diary, according to Bonnie Krupa, coordinator for the project.

Similar studies have been done in other parts of the country, but this will be the first in the Midwest, Krupa said.

Banking in part on Muncie's image as "Middletown, U.S.A.," researchers hope the results show that Delaware County's media usage mirrors national patterns.

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The three studies will allow researchers to compare the results to see how consistent they are, such as seeing whether people watch television more than they admit to, Krupa said.

Once the data is compiled, the researchers will publish an article this fall in a new academic journal created by Ball State's grant-funded iCommunication project, according to Krupa.

The researchers hope that enough local residents will agree to participate when they are contacted; Krupa noted that the study needed randomly selected subjects rather than volunteers.

Bonnie Krupa Ball State University Research Project Manager

"I hope there is interest," said Bonnie Krupa, who is one of the organizers, "and that people want to come out and meet new people and try new things."

The national organization has about 90 chapters in the United States and more around the world.It has a Web site - www.nokidding.net - that describes the organization as "the international social club for child-free and childless couples and singles."

One the local level, Krupa said, the group will seek to facilitate connections between childless people who have interests in any number of activities such as walking, reading, traveling or visiting restaurants.

Krupa, a project coordinator at Ball State University's Center for Media Design, has established a Web site for people interested in the local group.

It is hard to determine whether the person voting is the person registered to vote, or if someone else connected to the Web can see other people,s votes, Bonnie Krupa, testing project manager for the center, said.

,There is no way to warrantee privacy [with Internet voting],, Krupa said.

Bonnie KrupaTesting Project ManagerCenter for Media Design, BC 214

Bonnie Krupa Ball State University