Persona studies : an introduction This book represents a culmination of research into persona as well as launching point for others to take these ideas and explore many other constructions of public identity. Although certainly not a requirement of reading this book it makes sense to get the background fully in place by working through the concepts new terminology and ultimately the methods. This background is the material that will be nuanced as this field advances and we are encouraging all interested readers and researchers to engage and debate with our approaches on this strategic and now pandemic online identity we call persona. To further facilitate this exchange and research collaboration as well as recognise that we are building a field of study the end of our book is not just the concluding chapter but also a glossary of the terms we have generated as well as repurposed for our investigation of Persona Studies. You will also notice that words that are in the glossary are highlighted in their first usage in the text to help you navigate effectively through our work on persona and its contemporary transformations Machine generated contents note: About the Authors Acknowledgments Introduction: A short history of the new public self References Part One: Conceptualising Persona Chapter 1 Persona and its Uses Persona studies and the public self From personae to persona The Pre Modern to the Contemporary Self Applying Persona Persona in Psychology Persona in Literature Persona in Performing Arts Persona as performance Persona through personalisation References Chapter 2 The contemporary significance of persona Introduction Intercommunication: the human machine interface Celebrity and surveillance Intercommunication Intercommunication and Affect Theory Conclusion References Chapter 3 Intercommunication and the Dimensions and Registers of Persona Introduction Persona as Individualised Persona as Interpersonal Persona as Indexical Persona as Inter networked Registers of Performance Professional Personal Intimate Five dimensions of persona Public Dimension of Persona Mediatized Dimension of Persona Performative Dimension of Persona Collective Dimension of Persona The Fifth Dimension of Persona: Value Agency Reputation Prestige (VARP) Conclusion References Chapter 4 The collective constitution of public persona Micro Publics Microcelebrity Surveillance Capitalism and Persuasive Technologies Persona as digital objects Digital objects micro publics and hyperobjects Digital Object and Autosurveillance Conclusion References Part Two: Researching Persona Chapter 5 Analysing contemporary persona: methods to reveal the public version of the self Researching ourselves: reflexivity autoethnography and first person action research Interpreting the public self: Interpretative phenomenological analysis Personas in the making: Second person action research Reputation and inter related persona: Prosopographic field study Networked selves: Information visualisation and exploration Conclusion References Chapter 6 The Artists Persona The Artist as Subject The artist myth Romanticism and the arts Self presentation in the myth of the artist Artists typologies Authors auteurs and makers The Artist as Creative Labourer Online Artistness Conclusion References Chapter 7 From Player to Persona The Role of Avatars From Avatar to Persona The Rise and Fall of the Gamer Gmeur: from modder to indie game developer persona Public Mediatized Performative Collective Intentional Value (VARP) Conclusion References Chapter 8 The Professional Persona Work Public Identity and the Concept of the Professional Step One: Identify online cultures destabilizing effect on Professional Personas Step 2: The Instability of Past Value and the push to New Value Step 3: Agency active visibility and the professional persona Step 4: The Online Transformation of Professional Reputation and Prestige Conclusion References Conclusion The research so far We are not alone: Other research and the Persona Studies Journal What still needs to be done Everyday Persona Professional Persona Comparative Persona Political Persona Expanding the data analytics of (online) persona Emojis and Avatars: the persona fication of emotion and gestural communication Conclusion References Glossary: Key Words in Persona Studies. The definitive and first major text on personas in contemporary culture Modern social media and communication technologies have reshaped our identities and transformed contemporary culture revealing an expanded and intensified reforming of our collective online behavior. Billions of people worldwide are increasingly engaged in the production presentation and modification of their public selvescurating personas through various social media and fundamentally altering how we interact in the twenty first century. The study of persona is essential to understanding contemporary culture yet literature in this emerging field is scarce. Filling a gap in current knowledge Persona Studies: An Introduction is the first major work to examine the construction delivery and curation of public identities in contemporary online culture. This timely book helps readers navigate the changing cultural landscape while laying the groundwork for further research and application of persona studies. Three case studies are includedexamining personas of the artist gamer and professionalto illustrate how personas continue to transform identity and reshape contemporary culture. From the historical precursors of the current iteration of persona to emerging configurations of public self this unique work offers readers a broad introduction to the evolving theories and concepts of how persona defines the contemporary condition and its relation to technology and collective identity. To summarize the book: Analyzes how identities linked to data are cultivated curated and mined for various purposes Discusses the mediated blending of media and different types of interpersonal communication Explores tools for the investigation and analysis of persona including Prosopographic field studies and information visualization Translates new research concept theories methods and approaches into clear case studies and applications Examines the personalization of public private and intimate information in the building of new personas Persona Studies: An Introduction is an innovative resource for students academics researchers and professionals in fields covering digital and social media technology and culture mass media and communications social and media psychology and sociology and professional studies