Researcher seeks interviews with freelancers

A University of Western Ontario doctoral student is looking for Canadian freelance writers to participate in a study of freelance working conditions.

Robert Bertuzzi, a PhD student in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies, is seeking freelancers who are able to commit to one 90-minute interview. His dissertation will explore the experiences and working conditions of freelance writers and journalists. According to his recruitment letter, he will specifically be looking at the following three areas:

1. Whether freelancing helps mitigate feelings of alienation typically associated with more traditional work environments.

2. Why freelance writers pursue this line of work in the face of stagnant fee schedules and increasingly onerous copyright conditions.

3. The social bonds that emerge for a workforce that is physically dispersed, and possibly isolated. Consequently, under such conditions, what potential exists for freelance writers to collaborate on collectively representing their interests.

In an email exchange with Story Board, Bertuzzi said that he is willing to provide the results of his study -- which will be compiled in an approximately 250-page dissertation -- to any participants who are interested.

"I tell all participants that I am happy to provide them with a copy of the finished work, and to correspond with them throughout the process should they wish to do so," he said.

Interested freelancers can contact Bertuzzi for more information about his project at rbertuzz@uwo.ca.