Overview
Summary: Students will complete a proposal for a visual research project (paper or media project) based on an analysis of a visual media object of their choice. Students will base their analysis on a research practice covered during the course. This initial proposal is an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the preliminary steps of the research process. It is required for all students to pass. For those that plan to get a C or above, the proposal also gives me an opportunity to provide feedback on your proposed project at an early stage.
Details:
Over the course of the semester, students aiming for a C, B, or A will complete a visual research project that gives them a chance to more substantively put their visual methods learning into practice by analyzing visual media (a single visual artifact or multiple visual materials). Students can start either with a method they want to go deeper on, or an artifact they'd like to analyze. Table 1.1 outlines which method might be most appropriate to match with the selected visual materials, and Table 1.2 to think a bit about Site and Modality in terms of what the student hopes to be able achieve through the analysis. In either case, it's helpful to start a project with a goal in mind. For some students, that might be about getting deeper learning about one method. For some, it might be about a deeper analysis of a particular media artifact or set of materials. For yet others, it might mean designing a project meant to better understand how media can illuminate the workings of a particular site or modality. Any of these is fine for this project. My goal is for you to learn the process of using research methods to better understand media and/or visual culture. As such, your focus should be less on the completed final product of this assignment than with the process of research that generates that product. Use of Chatbots or "AI" tools is prohibited without explicit prior permission from the instructor (see the syllabus for more information).
For this proposal, please include the following, answering each with complete sentences in brief but complete paragraphs:
- What are your research goals for the project (see above)? Why is this your goal?
- Specifically, what kind of media or visual culture do you want to better understand? What kinds of visual or media artifacts would allow you to study this area of media or visual culture? If you have a specific artifact(s) in mind, name it/them.
- Which site and modality/modalities are you particularly interested in and why?
- Which method are you interested in pursuing and why?
- What is a tentative/draft research question or hypothesis that will help you achieve your research goals related to the site and modality/modalities you are interested in?
Pay attention to the alignment between these different aspects. You can't ask a question about one site but pick a method that is only functional for another site, or have a goal related to one modality, but then choose a set of texts that only shed light on another modality.
See the rubric below for the specifications that must be met to complete (pass) this assignment.
Write your five short paragraphs in a Google doc and share it with me as editor, then turn that in (either as a link or as a document) for this assignment.
This proposal should take approximately 30 minutes between consulting the text, brainstorming ideas, cross referencing the answers to the above questions to ensure alignment, and proof reading. I will give you feedback ahead of your library research day, when you will have an opportunity to begin working on your first lit review.