Reading, Writing, and Research Methodologies 2014-2015

Handbook description: "The Reading, Writing, and Research Methodologies Seminar is tailored towards (further) developing research methods within the first year of this master. By establishing a solid foundation of research skills, it will eventually prepare students for their Graduate research in the second year. Through reading core theoretical texts, they will establish a common vocabulary and set of references to work from. They will learn the practice of classic ‘essayistic methodologies’, including close reading, annotation, description and notation, students learn to survey a body of literature, filter what is relevant to their research and create comparative pieces of analysis. The seminar helps students to establish methodical drafting processes for their texts, where they can develop ideas further and structure their use of notes and references. The course takes as axiomatic that the perceived division between ‘practice’ and ‘theory’ is essentially an illusion."

Curriculum:

The seminar over the two trimesters will involve:

(a.) Identifying the object of your research: description and analysis of your work

(b.) Contextualizing your work through description and reflection on contemporary and historical practices.

(c.) Identify research material key to your practice.

(d.) Synopsis and annotation of key texts

(e.) Writing machines: creating methods for group and individual writing.

Throughout, there will be an emphasis on working collectively, whether in a larger discussion group or in smaller reading and writing groups.

General notes:

1) Communication - Think of the reader. It is not safe to assume they have knowledge of what you are writing about. Even if they do have knowledge this needs to be contextualized. Generally people appreciate clarity.

2) Description - Remember to describe the texts you are citing (synopsis of relevant arguments) and the things you are discussing (your own work, the work of others).

3) Citation - give appropriate acknowledgment of the text/work you are citing. Do not leave it to the end of the process to place citations, as your texts grow more complex and longer this becomes a tedious task so give citations as you go. Use the Harvard method.

4) Notation - always take notes and log your sources. The alphabet code is an excellent memory storage system - use it.

5) Identify and eliminate bad habits as you go - this saves time. Examples: its/it's / i/I

6) Bibliography

n) stop wiki sloppiness - this is the page through which we communicate so always make a link to the latest version on this page

Basic style sheet

Titles and works = italics

Essays = Title in Caps

Notation = Harvard System (writer, page number) = (Smith, 26)

URL = make link

Print Room

Where to find books

TRIMESTER TWO

Outcome:

The specific outcome for the RW&RM seminar of 2013-14 will be a 1500 word text which reflects on your own method and situates your work in relation to a broader artistic and cultural context. The various texts produced within the RW&RM seminar will serve as source material for your text on method. In common with all modules on the course RW&RM serves to support the other elements of the course (Self-directed Research, Issues in Art & Theory, Practice-Group Critiques &c.). Therefore, the text on method will inform your Self-Evaluation at the end of the third trimester and provide the basis for your Graduate Project Proposal that you will produce in the fourth trimester.

Brief for 1500 word methods text (which you will do at the end of the second trimester).

The aim of this assignment is to use description of your work as a way of identifying and articulating your method. Describing first what and then how and why you make work often leads to discussions of the works context (what work is similar to the work you describe; what are the key ideas the work deals with).

The theoretical elements of the texts you write should therefore emerge from, and have a very clear connection with, the work you are making. For this experiment I am asking you to follow the method outlined above so that you can begin to reflect and write quite deeply about the work you are making. A second method you will find useful is to draw on annotations of texts you have read which have a particular relation to the work you make.

10 Feb

Thanks be. It is Jstor Day

17 Feb

Jstor Day (continue)

Morning:

Continue to make notes on texts you picked on Jstor day

Upload them here:

Also please answer this brief questionnaire

What drew you to this text?

What is the text's relation to your work, or more general research interests?

Afternoon:

Team up with one other to review your notes

Mat's notes on Dan's text

daniel's notes on mat's text

katherine's notes on mike's text

Mike's notes on Katherine's text

Clara's notes on Niel's text

Niels his notes on Clara's text

Mitch's notes on Tracy's text

Angharad notes on Tracy

Tracy notes on Mitch

5 March

Description update. Using the method we used in the first sessions describe the what, how and why of a work you made.

Additional question. How could this develop?

Describe up to three works as comprehensively as possible in 600 words (200 per work)

Remember to split the text into what, how and why for each work, ending with a reflection on how the work could develop

10:30-12-30: write text

12:30 upload your text on the wiki so your readers can read it over lunch

In groups of three: read and comment on the texts of your two peers. Make notes on the comments by your two peers

14:00 meet with your readers and discuss your text. As reader you will tell the writer what the text gives them to understand. remember to remain silent while they give feedback. This is about what the text communicates, there is no point in verbal justification on behalf of your text if it is not communicating what you intended.

15:00-16:30 edit text after taking note of the comments given by your readers.

16:30 meet as a group to review process and discuss the next session

Kari descriptor thing

Daniel W H+W

Raluca

18 March

Text on method

Stage one: make outline and first draft of text on method.

Method: print out all texts and notes produced in this seminar and cut and paste them together to form a basic sketch.

Suggested template:

current work

previous work

context

future options

research strands you would like to follow

conclusion

1 April text on method

Final draft of text on method

TRIMESTER ONE

18-Sept

WhoWhatWhy # 1

upload texts here

Madison, what, how, why?

Angharad, what, how, why

Mat, What, How Why?

Michael, What, How, Why?

Mitchell, what, how, why

nika what, how, why

seecum what, how, why

Daniel what, how, why

Raluca what, how, why

Niels what, how, why

Tracy

Clara WhW

Katherine what how why

Adam Lewis-Jacob

02-Oct

WhoWhatWhy # 2

Mat - Who, What, Why #2

Maddog

Daniel

Clara

What is context and why # 1

http://piratepad.net/VpkbeMzbsW

PiratePadArchive2Oct2014

Bring along a text, an art object (repro) by another and a piece of popular media (film,clip &c)

Make notes together on pirate pad

16 Oct

AM: note taking # 2

1) Watch film together

2) Take notes Individually

3) Review notes in big group

4) Form editorial teams (of three): make text by combining information from each other's texts.

5) Publish texts on wiki below

First thing note taking

PM: What is context and why #2

150 words on art piece, text piece or media piece.

Write alone

Review texts in groups 3:30

Make changes 4:00

Upload here: 4:45

30 Oct

Kate Briggs: What is a Synopsis?

Some synonyms for the verb to synopsize include: to sum up, to encapsulate, abstract, to boil down, to digest... Our work today will be to produce a sequence of synopses of different sorts of texts (one of which you will bring along with you), to practice synopsizing as a research tool - a useful way of dealing with the texts you read -, but also as a provocative writing strategy in its own right.

For the seminar bring a text of max 2 pages that you have been reading recently

Outline:

11:00 Intro to Kate, what she does and what she will be doing today.

11:30 Split into writing-reading groups of 3 to work on a short "synopsizing" exercises

12:30 Read aloud and share the work we have done.

13h Begin work on a synopsis of the texts you have brought with you, working with different lengths: a sentence; 3 sentences; a short paragraph.

15:00 Meet as large group to review what we have done so far (upload drafts to the wiki)

15:30 Resume work in groups

17:30 Review work done

18:00 Round up

upload synopses here

11/Nov

Writing Machines

10:00: Intro by Steve.

Versions 2014

http://oliverlaric.com/

(extract) Molly (sucking stones) and What Where : Samuel Beckett

Writing Machines. N. Katherine Hayles wrote a book called Writing Machines, Andrew Goldsmith talks about them in his own book Uncreative Writing. They offer ways of making texts and ways of understanding what text is. Today we will look at examples and design and operate our own.

10:30: Discuss how to design and operate a writing machine

12:45 Meet to discuss designs and tests &c

11:00: Work in groups

12:45 Review designs

16:30 Meet as group to discuss progress

upload writing machine design and outcome here