Lecture Notes

Introduction
What are you going to address and how are you going to address it?
What are your intentions?

- Demonstrate a critical knowledge of practice
- Apply theory to practice
- Analyse relevant material
- Evaluate theory and evidence within the context of study
- Reflect: critiquing and critically

 

- Are you passive with accepting ideas from other writers or do you try to challenge them?

Deep Theory
- Independent engagement with material
- Critical and thoughtful about idea and information
- Relates theory and research to own experience and knowledge
- Sees the bigger picture
- Relates evidence to conclusions
- Examines logic of arguments
- Interested in wider reading and thinking
- Ongoing preparation and reflection

- Each academic discipline has its own specialist vocal which you will be expected to learn and use in your own writing

- Make sure that your arguments are backed up with quotes and theorists

- Preliminaries: Title, acknowledgements, contents, list of illustrations

- Introduction: The abstract, statement of the problem, methodological approach

- Main body: Review of literature, logically developed argument chapters, results of investigation, case study

- Conclusion: Discussion and conclusion, summary of conclusions

- Extras: Bibliography, appendices

- Have a look at dissertations in the library

COP3 submission document can be found on e-studio

- This will explain how to lay out your essay and how to order it

Harvard Referencing
e-studio explains basics

Author (date) Title, Place, Publisher.
   - Make sure that the way you format titles / author names, you keep bibliography and text referencing the same.

'quote quote' (surname, year, page)
   - DON'T USE SPEECH MARKS!

When quoting an artist from a book, use (Smith in Miles, 2013, p7)

- Bibliography should be alphabetised by surname and ordered in types of sources, e.g. books, films, etc.

- Illustrations need to be referenced like author, date, title.
   - If found in a book, reference where you found it.
   - Owb photos: "author's own image"

- Have a look at Leeds uni website for referencing.

40 Credit Module.
Deadline: 15th January 2015

"Doing Your Research Project" by Juditch Bell - 371.3 in library

- 6-9,000 word written element and practical work.
- Research project to a question, which you will then produce a practical piece answering said question.
- Minimum 2.5 hours tutorial time. Come prepared to your tutorials with research, questions, etc.
- Try to have a substantial draft submitted by Christmas holidays.

Planning The Project
- Write down all the questions that you want to investigate.
- Consider each question on their own merits and focus on two (primary and secondary questions).
- Write a 'first thoughts' sheet for primary and secondary questions
   - preconceptions
   - ideas for investigations
- What is the purpose of the study? Is your question researchable? Are your ideas realistic?
- Working title (can be subtly changed).
   - Constantly refer back to your title.
   - Are you answering the title?
   - Make sure that your title is a question to answer.

Project Outline
- Consider timing. Deadline = 15 weeks!!
- Consider holidays / work / life.
- Think about what needs researching.
- Allocate timings for research areas.
- Allow generous time for reading and writing up.
- Factor in tutorials.
- Draw up a project outline.

Literature Search
- Reading takes more time than you think!
- How much can you actually read in 100 hours?
- Start by trying to find key texts on your chosen topic.
   - Have a look on Google Scholar.
- Focus your reading and plan your time.
- Find secondary sources based on key texts.
- Use journals (www.jstor.org).

Referencing
- Start compiling a bibliography at the beginning of the project.
- Reference as you go along.
- Include: Name, forename, date, place, publisher, page.

Questionnaires
- Is a questionnaire the best way of investigating your topic?
- If so, begin to word questions and discuss with supervisor.
- Avoid ambiguity, imprecision or assumption.
- Avoid double, leading, presuming or offensive questions.

Interviews
- Is an interview relevant?
- If so, begin to word questions for discussions with supervisor.

Critical Diaries / Reflective Logs
- Keep updating and reflecting on your research.
- Make sure the purpose is clear.

DON'T PROCRASTINATE!!!!

chris.graham@leeds-art.ac.uk
@LibraryArtLeeds

- Focus
- Relevance

If you have a well defined title, you will be able to research relevant topics for your title.
Don't waffle with your title, be specific.

When you start off, visualise the title (spider diagram) to gain a better idea of what you need to research into. You don't want your spider diagram to be cluttered, as this will form an essay that isn't as relevant and focused as if you focus on a fewer amount of areas to research.

Example:
'What role does the graphic designer play in the modern music industry?'

Primary Research
Gathering your own original data

Secondary Research (scholarship)
Reading up on the subject, making use of the research and findings of others for corroboration, disagreement, triangulation (two disagreeing sources - look for a third that brings them together to come to a conclusion), theoretical underpinning etc.

Research Methods
- Visual practice, experiment, interest and enquiry (research and critical diaries)
- Questionnaires (qualitative - opinions, ideas, paragraph answers / quantitative - statistical)
Produce a draft questionnaire first to give out to a few people, then make changes for the final.
- Interviews
- Case Study (go in-depth into a particular case to draw wider conclusions)
- Site visits
- Literature search

Literature Search 1
- Books (academic sources)
- Journals / magazines (academic journals are smaller in size and mainly textual)
- Websites / blogs / on-line forums
- Videos / DVDs
- CDs / Tape Cassettes / Vinyl Recordings
- TV / Radio
- Newspapers / Maps / Reports
- Printed Ephemera (items that are printed and not meant to be kept, for example flyers, posters, wrappers, etc)

Literature Search 2
- Knowing where to look most effectively
- Effective use of catalogues
   - Narrowing and broadening search terms
   - Using related terms
   - Browsing using Dewey Decimal Classification (numbering system - browse books around that number for related books)
- Use of contents page and index (this will make sure that the book is relevant)
- Reading the introduction or abstract (the introduction will always be a summary of the rest of the book)
- Using a book's own bibliography to inform further reading

Book Search
- Leeds College of Art Library
http://library.leeds-art.ac.uk

- Leeds Metropolitan University Library
www.leedsmet.ac.uk/lis

- University of Leeds (SCONUL)
Apply for a SCONUL card in the library, and this will entitle you to go to other university libraries.
www.leeds.ac.uk/library

- The British Library in Boston Spa
www.bl.uk

- COPAC (combined catalogue of all the universities in the UK)
http://copac.ac.uk

Journal Search 1
InfoTrac
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itwed/leedscad
- A store of online magazine articles
- If at college, click the "proceed" button
- If at home, you may need to type in a password: tryinfomarks

JSTOR
http://www.jstor.org/
- A store of online magazine articles
- Unfortunately, only available on college computers

Art Full Text
http://portal.leeds-art.ac.uk/
- Journal index and some full text articles available

Internet Search 1
Athens
http://www.athens.ac.uk
- A store of password protected sites
- Each student who wishes to access this site will need to ask the Librarian for the login and password

WGSN
www.wgsn.com
- A database of fashion information and trends
- Log in : leedscollege
Password on slideshow on e-studio

Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.co.uk
- Some full text PDF articles available

Library E-Studio
HE Library and Learning Resources
- Links to Harvard Referencing
- Links to writing a bibliography

Two Tips
- Don't bite off more than you can chew (keep the topic and title focused and manageable)
- Create a sense of momentum (note taking, writing a draft section when you can, keeping your bibliography up to date)

Remaking theory, rethinking practice.

An individually driven, synthesised research project with interrelated practical and written elements.

Due in at the end of the first semester of 3rd year.

To Submit:
A dissertation of up to 9,000 words, a body of practical work and supported research.

An essay with a related piece of practical work.

Research the proposed project over the summer and start writing the dissertation come September.

Learning Outcomes:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills (logic, reasoning and critical judgement)
- Practical and professional skills
- Key transferrable skills
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the synthesis between the theoretical and practical contexts of their own creative concerns

Synthesis
- All component parts of the project engaging in one complex, dynamic process.
- Informed engagement
- The realisation of theory in, and through, practice

FILL IN YOUR PROPOSAL FORM BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND SUBMIT TO DROP-BOX ON ESTUDIO.

The proposal form will allow you to receive focussed feedback before the summer and allows staff to consider the viability of your research.

Try to complete the form in as much detail as possible - a detailed response will probably mean better feedback.