Block 2 – Numbers, images and words 

Friday 16th August, 9am – 5pm in CB11.05.102+104

We will cover:

  • Randomised designs in quantitative studies
  • Visual research and analysing images
  • Change methodologies (action research, change laboratories, practice-based studies)
  • Yarning (we will yarn together about what it means to ‘own’ and share data, among other things)
  • Innovating with surveys | Textual methods (you can choose)

Here are details of the pre-class work you need to complete before Block 2.

Randomisation

1. Watch this video on randomisation and bring notes with you on your key learning points and any questions that come up for you; class will start with a Q&A led by your key points and questions.

Visual research

2. Read the live fieldnotes blog then take pictures during the period between Block1 and Block2 that relate in some way to your (i) research topic and/or (ii) the research process – what you do relating to your study (e.g. reading, commuting, your workspace). Post them on instagram and use #drlabuts. If you don’t have an instagram account see How to… for instructions on using the account set up for us.

Activist / Change methodologies

3. Watch this video introducing change methodologies. In the B2 Activist approaches Topic [in Teams] share one thing you understand to be in common to the three approaches discussed, and one thing that distinguishes them from each other. You can download the Activist research intro powerpoint that you see in the video and follow several hyperlinks through if you want to go into more depth. Don’t forget the methods cards too!

Power, knowledge and research

4.  Read the Conversation piece by Tuhiwai Smith (Rigney 1999 is a good extension text) and note down one thing you found especially thought-provoking in relation to research design, and what you think the concrete implication of it might be.

Innovating with surveys (for those of you choosing this rather than the textual analysis option)

Write one item you could use in a survey relating to your research topic. Share it on the Block 2 Survey Item Topic [in Teams] and tell us why it would be important. Make sure you are familiar with standard guidelines to survey item construction (use the DR Lab Readings if you’re unsure).

Textual methods

Bring a text that relates in some way to your research. This should have been written by someone else. It could be a policy document, newspaper article, curriculum document, resource used by people involved in the practice or setting you’re interested in.

Read: Stéfan Sinclair and Geoffrey Rockwell, Text Analysis and Visualization: Making Meaning Count, in A New Companion to Digital Humanities, edited by Susan Schreibman, et al., John Wiley & Sons, 2016 pp. 330-349.

Randomised designs

High Scope Perry Summary | High Scope Perry study website

Power, knowledge and difference

We will be yarning together

Visual research

Introduction, visual methodologies (links to Gillian Rose’s video)

How to make images as research data

Small groups discussion on the images taken as part of the preparation for class with #drlabuts on Instagram

Activist/Change methodologies

Activist objects as research objects and as technologies for change: stickers, tarot cards, maps, and seed balls.

Here is the link to Nick’s powerpoint [opens a dropbox file]

In groups choose a topic and think how it could be done as one of action research/ /DWR/practice-based approach; design the study then consider what difference would it make to the ‘so what?’ question? How can you seed change?

Textual analysis

Guest lecturer Dr Alice Loda: introduction to digital humanities, textual mapping(s), visualizations, wordcloud lab.

Surveys

We will look at example items you posted in the Block 2 Survey Teams Channel

After Block 2

You may wish to go into more detail or explore examples using relevant Methods Cards.

Remember to complete the pre-block preparation for Block 3 which is next week.

If you are thinking of using visual methods, especially taking photographs, in your own work, then check out Ilaria’s materials on how to take a good photo (from Lynda.com). And also check out this blog post about making seed balls during an activist-research residency with the research network Walking Lab.

For more on textual methods see UTS FASS Professor Alan McKee in conversation with Dr Catriona Bonfiglioli on textual analysis, part I and part II.