School of Visual Culture Undergraduate Year 3 Handbook 2017-18 A) Introduction: the Purpose of the Research Project B) Choosing a Topic for part 1 C) Writing a Research Proposal D) Research E) The Role of the Supervisor F) Research Project Supervisors G) Writing a Research Project H) Guidelines for Research Project Presentation 1. Length 2. Format 3. Binding 4. Copies 5. Organisation of Material 6. Illustrations 7. Methods of Citation 8. Citations in Text 9. Bibliography 10. Quotations 11. Titles 12. Research project Title 13. Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, Acronyms I) Assessment Process and Criteria J) College Plagiarism Policy K) Useful Resources & Sample List of Past Visual Culture submissions L) Queries M) Calendar (2017-18) 1 A) Introduction - the Purpose of the Research Project There are 2 parts to the visual culture research project. The aims of these 2 parts are: Part 1) to complete a substantial piece of research on a clearly defined topic related to visual culture Part 2) present a short statement of practice that critically contextualises your studio work Studio students take one 10 credit module in semesters 1 & 2 of year 3. semester 1 year 3 semester 2 year 3 (75% of overall module mark) (25% of overall module mark) part 1: 6000 word research project part 2: 750 word statement of practice Education students take two 5 credit modules in semester 1 of year 3 and semester 1 of year 4. semester 1 year 3 semester 1 year 4 5 credits 5 credits 4000 word research project education elective assessment task The research project and statement of practice are supported by lectures, group and individual tutorials under the guidance of a supervisor. B) Choosing a Topic When selecting a research topic for part 1 consider the following questions: Does this topic interest me, and will it maintain my interest? If you don’t pick a topic that interests you, it is unlikely that the research project will interest your reader. It is important when picking a topic for part 1 of your research project that you are enthusiastic about your chosen topic. This will make writing the research project more of a pleasure and less of a chore. Your part 2 topic must be your own studio practice. How will I research this topic? What resources are available to me for research? You need to consider where you will access information about the topic: from books, journal articles, newspaper reviews, research centres such as NIVAL (National Irish Visual Arts Library), interviews etc. Will you be able to access enough information to make this topic viable? You also need to consider the quality and type of information available to you. For example, can you access primary sources for this topic or will you be confined to secondary sources? Is the literature published on this topic of a good academic standard? Is the literature accessible? What research methods will I use to examine this topic? If your topic involves contrasting different types of images then your methodology may be focused on visual analysis. Other common methods used in visual culture include object analysis (this method moves beyond considering objects in terms of physical appearance, production and manufacture, to the social and cultural meanings that objects embody) and philosophical inquiry (thinking critically about issues within a field). The methodology you choose will influence the type of research you conduct; more information about different research methods is given in Section D. Is the topic manageable? Or is it too broad or too complex to cover competently in an undergraduate research project? Your research project should have a specific and central idea that gives focus and structure to your work. You should avoid attempting an overview of a vast theme, spanning a long time period, or addressing issues that are abstract and open ended, remember that the research project length is 6,000 words. Ideally your research project should be centred on a coherent research question. How does this topic relate to my studio practice? Part 1 of the research project should ideally be relevant to your studio work. This means that theory and practice feed into each other and you will not feel that you are spending too much time on one at the expense of the other. Part 2 of the year 3 module, due at the end of semester 2, is a 750 word statement of practice. This piece of writing must focus on your studio work. 2 What is my topic for part 2? Your part 2 topic must be your own studio work, written as a 750 word statement of practice. You should give a written statement that reflects on your practice and communicates what it is and what it’s about to a general public. You should include short statements on the following topics: Medium: what is you work made from, and why did you make these choices? Style: What aesthetic decisions have informed your work? Subject Matter: what is your work about; and why did you choose this subject matter? Themes: what critical, theoretical, social, political or ethical issues does your work raise? C) Writing a Research Proposal Your research project proposal is submitted at the end of the second semester of your second year. It is very important that you use the proposal to establish the aims and interests of your part 1 topic as clearly as possible. D) Research Part 1 of the research project is a major undertaking and students are strongly advised to begin research at the end of second year. The summer break, prior to third year, is an ideal time to read around your topic as much as possible. The College library is a great resource, browsing is useful, but using the online catalogue may be a more efficient way of locating suitable material. Ask the library staff for advice. There are a number of very useful resources attached to NCAD's library service, if you are studying modern or contemporary Irish art and design it is likely that there is a wealth of information in NIVAL (http://nival.ncad.ie/INDEX.HTM), the Visual Resources service in the library has a wealth of holdings in film, video art, documentaries etc. (http://www.ncad.ie/library/visualresources.shtml). The College library subscribes to a number of important online resources, accessing these is a great way to begin your research. Databases such as ArtBibliographies Modern, Art Full Text and Design and Applied Arts Index will direct you to a wealth of published articles on contemporary art and design. These databases are accessed through the NCAD website (http://www.ncad.ie/library/search_databases.shtml). The library also subscribes to important online collections of academic journals, J-Stor and Informaworld. All of these electronic resources can be accessed off-campus using the Athens access management system. You should have received an email to your NCAD email address from IT Support with this wording in the subject box, ‘your Athens account has been created’. This email will give you your Athens password (username). This email will also give the link that you must follow in order to activate your Athens account. The internet is a useful tool for research and many explorations of a topic will begin with a Google search. There are a number of specific resources for students of visual culture. However, you also need to approach such resources with caution. While some websites may contain very valuable information, many contain inaccurate and unverifiable information. It is therefore essential that you view information from websites critically and that you make responsible use of the internet in your research. Remember to reference all internet sites used, for this you should keep a note of the date you accessed each site. Part of the skill of research is knowing what NOT to read, what NOT to include in your draft. If your research project is properly focused it should be easy to fillet material for what you need. Avoid spending time on material that is not directly relevant to your research. You will need precise references for all the sources you use, so keep a note of the author, title, publisher, place of publication, and exact page numbers for ALL the material you consult. You should pay particular attention to the footnotes and bibliography in the texts you read as these will inevitably lead you to other useful sources. Consider what other sources are open to you. If you are investigating the work of contemporary artists, designers, filmmakers etc., could you contact them directly to get information about their work? If you are researching objects from a public collection, the curator may be a useful source. If your research involves interviews, do your homework before the interview. Don't waste the person's time asking questions to which you should already know the answers. Keep written questionnaires short and to the point, bear in mind that your interviewees are likely to be busy, the longer your list of questions the less likely it is that they will be dealt with. It is imperative that you discuss your interview questions with your supervisor in advance of the interview. Make sure that the interview is directly relevant to your research project and significantly adds to your knowledge of the topic. Wherever possible substantiate this research with information from established sources. Interviews are not always a useful research method, there’s no point talking to an artist / designer who has already been extensively interviewed, unless your line of questioning adds to existing published information. 3 It is essential that any one who participates in your research project research gives you their informed consent.