Hi all! I am a long-time gamer and also a game researcher, and recently I have been interested in bards - why and how people play them, and what roles they can fill within a party - also, whether or not there are connections between people playing bards and the ideas people have about storytellers and performers outside the gaming world. Because of this interest, I have made a short survey - you can read the full research call below. It is not D&D exclusive, but a lot of it focuses on D&D, and I thought it would be useful to post it here in case anyone is interested in adding their opinions to the mix! 
I really value all contributions and opinions, and it's all anonymous.
Call to gamers in the tabletop role-playing field: