Get data early, get data often, iterate constantly: an explorative, participatory approach to studying language evolution

We argue that, as well as an empirical approach borrowed from experimental psychology, studies of language evolution can also benefit from an explorative, participatory approach. This is based on a reflection on an experimental semiotics study where the process of arriving at an effective experimental design was equally valuable for developing the theory as the final results of the experiment. We suspect that this process is commonplace in many studies, but there is no formal method for documenting or exploiting any insights gained. We present methods from video game design and ethnography as candidates for addressing this gap and suggest they can be used in a hybrid approach that combines an exploratory phase of cyclic iteration with a final, more traditional linear phase. We illustrate these methods with two case studies and argue that a participatory approach can harness the creative power of our participants and help us reveal important aspects of our theories.