Syllabus

DMST4850: Digital Media Research Methods
Fall 2009
M/W 12:00-1:50
Sturm Hall 434
Professor: Adrienne Russell
Email: adrienne.russell@du.edu
Office: Sturm Hall 216
Office Hours: Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 and by appointment
Course blog: http://dmsresearch2009.blogspot.com/

DIGITAL MEDIA RESEARCH METHODS explores strategies and techniques for conducting research in the area of digital media studies. It is also a course in applied theory and will engage the ideas of major historical and contemporary thinkers in order to build on and respond to their work on the intersection of technology, culture and various forms of power. The goals of the course are: 1) the strengthen your ability to critically assess digital media technologies and practices and the various methods used to research them; 2) to build the skills and knowledge necessary to create theoretically informed digital media artifacts and analyses; and 3) to implement these skills in writing your master’s project/thesis proposal.

The format of the course will combine the study and discussion of published works; analysis of digital media projects; and a project or thesis proposal that sets out your program of research that includes an exploration the convergence of theory and practice in the digital media of your choice.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Mizuko Ito, Daisuke Okabe, and Misa Matsuda Eds. Personal, Portable, Pedestrian. MIT Press, 2005.

Markham, Annette, and Nancy Baym Eds. Internet Inquiry. Sage, 2009.

ASSIGNMENTS
Book Reviews (10%)
A book review of Personal, Portable, Pedestrian due Wednesday, Oct. 4. While it might be helpful to consult other reviews on the book, and you should definitely talk to your classmates about the book, please write a completely original (i.e. not plagiarized, not even one phrase) review that discusses the book in the context of the methodological issues brought up in Internet Inquiry. It should be organized like an essay, with a thesis and a few points or examples to back it up. Please do not summarize but rather try to capture the overall theme of the book and explicate its theoretical and methodological underpinnings.

Initial Proposal (10%)
Prepare a 20-minute proposal of your project, followed by discussion. Also submit a short written document (5-7 double-space pages) for your class project on the day of your presentation. Your proposal should include the following:
i. CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATION: themes and content; theoretical/critical contexts; supporting material (including literature and media reviews); production and development skills; desired outcome (including media formats and delivery modes)
ii. PROJECT GOALS: establish what you expect to learn while creating this project; also relate previous coursework and experience to the proposed work
iii. OUTLINE: sketch a basic outline of anticipated workflow and process stages
iv. TIMELINE: you should also project a timeline along with your outline, estimating the time you anticipate needed to complete each step.
v. ABSTRACT: summarize your project in 150 to 200 words

II) Class Facilitations:
Internet Inquiry (10%)
You will be responsible for leading a class discussion on one chapter of the book Internet Inquiry. Each chapter poses a question. Your job will be to briefly present the issues that are raised by the question and to bring into the conversation examples that go beyond those provided in the text.

Literature & Media Reviews (10%)
You will be responsible for conducting a class session related to your proposed project. You will be asked to assign a reading of 2-4 texts (50-100 pages) and 1-5 examples of digital media, depending on the length of the reading assignments and the time-commitment of the examples. This material will provide you an opportunity to synthesize information, concepts, media, and strategies relevant to your class project. Please turn in a written literature and media review (7-10 double-spaced)

Guidelines: Biographical/historical information, as well as demonstrations, projections, video clips, and so forth, are kept to a minimum. Beyond a basic introduction to each writer or work, such information is relevant to the critical/theoretical issues involved in your project. The presentation prepares the class for a focused discussion of your project plans. While maintaining a critical focus, the presentation should cover a range of issues and concepts from the focal texts. Supporting materials or Web-based resources should be effectively chosen, maintaining the presentation focus rather than taking the presentation off on a tangent.

III) Proposal (40%)
Your thesis or project proposal should follow the below thesis proposal guidelines (taken from the DMS Graduate Handbook). Note guidelines for projects and thesis proposals are different in DMS Graduate Handbook but for the purpose of this course all students should follow the thesis guidelines.

Guidelines: Thesis proposals run between 25-30 double-spaced pages, with additional pages for storyboards, mock-ups, site maps, and so on. While the final format may vary according to the direction of the primary advisor, all thesis proposals should include the following:

1) Overview of the Thesis: this may take the form of a general introduction to the topic, research, design, and production of the work being proposed. This section should address the work’s scope, the approach to be used to examine its subject matter, and the student's interest in the subject and the research methods employed. The thesis proposal should also address the digital media production necessary for its completion, including design elements, format and delivery.

2) Literature and Media Review: a student should include a review of the literature and media related to the specific topic, providing a clear and succinct statement of the questions and issues that the Thesis will address. This review should provide a critical analysis examining the approach to the topic and the proposed work’s design and production, highlighting the specific issues in the debate about that approach. The discussion should make clear where the student places herself or himself within that debate to justify the approach applied to the Thesis. The proposal should include a discussion of the contributions the study will make to the existing discourse on the thesis topic.

3) Outline and Timeline: the student should include a brief outline of each component or chapter, accompanied by a timeline for completion.

4) Thesis Abstract: summarize the thesis in 150-200 words.

IV) In-class and online discussions (20%)
You will receive an invitation via email to join the course blog. Please follow the directions in the email. This is not an extended discussion format as much as it is a graffiti wall and an ongoing exercise in collaborative linking. At least every other week you should contribute to our blog a link and a short review (1 paragraph) of a site, article, art project, news story, or other resource relevant to that week's reading assignments. GENERAL POLICIES
Attendance
Attendance is required. If you can’t make it to class because you are sick or because of an emergency please find out what you missed from a classmate.

Academic Honesty Please be honest in your work. You are expected to express your thoughts in your own words and to use citations when using other people’s words or ideas.

SCHEDULE: Please come to class prepared to discuss the reading assigned for that day.

WEEK 1 | Transformations: Studying Digital Media
Monday Sept 14| Introductions, course plan and intro

Wednesday Sept 16 | Reading: Internet Inquiry, Introduction; Web.studies, Introduction to the New Edition; Personal Portable Pedestrian, Introduction and Chapter 1.

WEEK 2 | Defining Boundaries and Collecting Data
Monday Sept 21| Reading: Internet Inquiry: Question One; Personal Portable Pedestrian Chapters 2 and 3; Consumer Health Info on the Web by Mary Stansbury (I'll email it to you).

GUEST SPEAKER: Mary Stansbury Associate Professor & Program Chair, Library & Information Science
Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver

Check out:
ArtLab http://www.artlab.org.uk/
Mike Wesch’s Digital Ethnography of YouTube Project http://mediatedcultures.net/youtube.htm
Digital Youth Research
http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/

Wednesday Sept 23 | Reading: Internet Inquiry: Question Two; Personal Portable Pedestrian, Chapters 4 and 5.

WEEK 3 | Privacy, Gender, Sexuality
Monday Sept 28 | Internet Inquiry: Question Three; Personal Portable Pedestrian, Chapters 6-9
Wednesday Sept 30 | Internet Inquiry: Question Four; Personal Portable Pedestrian, Chapters 10-13.

WEEK 4 | Research Quality, Relevance and Generalizability

Monday Oct 5 | Internet Inquiry: Question Five; Personal Portable Pedestrian, Chapters 14 and 15.

Wednesday Oct 7 | Internet Inquiry: Question Six, Personal Portable Pedestrian
Book Review Due


WEEK 5 |
Monday Oct 12 | project proposals
Wednesday Oct 14 | project proposals


WEEK 6 |
Monday Oct 19| research workshop Penrose
Meet at Penrose research instruction room
Wednesday Oct 21 | lit review writing workshop

WEEK 7 |
Monday Oct 26 | Media and Lit Review Presentation
Wednesday Oct 28 | Media and Lit Review Presentation

WEEK 8 |
Monday Nov 2 | Media and Lit Review Presentation
Wednesday Nov 4 | Media and Lit Review Presentation

WEEK 9 |
Monday Nov 9 | Media and Lit Review Presentation
Wednesday Nov 11| Media and Lit Review Presentation

WEEK 10 |
Monday Nov 16| Media and Lit Review Presentation
Wednesday Nov 18| Media and Lit Review Presentation


FINAL | Proposals Due: 12:00pm, Monday, November 23, 2008