Methods lens-based

Intro:

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 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.

Editing Reading, Writing & Research Methodologies - handbook information

Plagiarism

Outcome of the seminar (trimester three)

The specific outcome for the RW&RM seminar of 2016-17 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 your self-directed research. 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.

Please make "methods page" from your "student page"

TRIMESTER TWO

Outcome of this trimester: Essay, word count 1500

Aim:

Building on self-directed research

Full day seminars:

1) Individual and small group tutorials with Steve

2) In small groups show work you are currently making (and want to make soon) and discuss how it relates to contemporary practice (theory and art) with Steve and your peers

3) Spend the rest of the day following research strands we discussed in morning meeting (reading, watching, taking notes)

4) Recap on where today’s research led and set achievable aims for the next session

Sub plot for this trimester: encyclopedia of media objects

18 January

Session one

30 November - please upload final version of essay here

Anna Final Essay Media's Evolution in Feminism

Where do we go from here? Investigations into Post-Internetism - Ryan

Seeing and Observing Today, by Sigrun

Essay first trimester: Fabian (pdf)

Catalina: https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/User:Catalina/research

Irma's essay : Formula of credibility based on Noam Chomsky

Paulas essay: Queer Strategies

Qian : Audio Visual Art and Extensions

Taking notes on the photobook project

Split into groups of two:

Roles: A: interviewee and B: note taker

A talk about your photobook for 45 minutes:

What is it?

How is it made?

Why are you making it?

Is there a relation to the text you have been writing for the methods class?

What is its relation to other work you have made?

What is its relation to work by other people?

Hand over the notes to your colleague

SWAP PLACES

For the remaining time: edit the text your colleague has provided

12:30 Upload both versions on the wiki

Notes + edited notes (keep the first version)

Here:

synopsis Irma's photobook by Catalina & Irma

Sigrun's photobook and notes by Xian

23 November- please upload latest version of essay here

Steve will give written feedback

Anna's Second Draft

Paula: Visual Thinking meets Queer Theory

Ryan

Irma's essay : Formula of credibility based on Noam Chomsky

Fabian

Sigrun's Draft

16 Nov = DEADLINE FOR ESSAY FIRST DRAFT, REVIEW

Here are the guidelines we followed last week:

Describe, in your own words, what the texts you are reading are about.

Why this text is of interest to you?

What is its relation to your self directed research?

Title- abstract- notation

Give a title

Make an abstract (two to three sentences which give outline of the text- answer: what do you want this text to do?)

Use the Harvard method to make references

Make bibliography

Useful links:

Notes on Harvard method are here:

A Guide to Essay Writing

Jstor is a very useful resource

http://www.jstor.org/

Make link to your draft here

Ryan: https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/First_Paper_-_Draft

Paula: Visual Thinking meets Queer Theory

Irma's essay : Formula of credibility based on Noam Chomsky

Sigrun's First Draft

Anna's First Draft

Qian: https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/Draft

9 Nov

Lesson plan:

Continuing from the last session

The aim between now and the end of the trimester to write an essay (1500 words max).

This week we will discuss the material you are working on and next session (next week) we will review the first drafts.

Aim of essay: Choose two texts that have been reading which have a relation to each other and make a comparison.

To do so you will need to make a synopsis of the texts (outline what the thesis of each is = what is the text about? = what does it have to say?).

Groups of three: Make notes on the pad of what your peers have to say.

http://piratepad.net/07xdYcJnOe

1) Writer: describe, in your own words, what the text (s) you are reading are about.

2) Readers: make notes on the pad of what your peer is saying.

Readers, ask:

3) Why this text is of interest to you?

4) What is its relation to your self directed research?

5) After fifteen minutes of discussion hand over the notes to the writer. The writer then uses this as a basis to edit into and write a synopsis of their text.

After one hour take your colleagues' notes on your chosen text and work into them.

Half an hour before the end of the session we meet as a group to review work done.

12 – Oct

Lesson Plan

So far you have:

(1) made a brief description (what, how and why?) of a project you worked on

and

(2) made notes on a lecture by Vilém Flusser and/ or Marshall McLuhan

If you have not done so already, please make a link from the methods page to the texts you have written.

Like this:

https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/User:Francg/expub/media-wiriting

or this

https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/User:Eastwood

(3) For Wednesday's session: Bring along a text you are reading or want to read in the near future.

Please choose a* text* that has a relation to the work you are doing on the course.

For instance, a text that may have been referred to in Florian's seminar; a text you have discussed in tutorials; or a text you have encountered in your self-directed research.

In this session we will devote time to making a synopsis of the text and ask how we unpick and follow productive research strands.