Project Wikis & Research Symposium

Paradox and Progress: UW Research Projects

Urban Planning: Space and Place in Amsterdam

Dutch Health Care: Seattle and Amsterdam Comparative Case Study

Immigrant Identities in Amsterdam

Fact and Fiction: Exploring Information Politics, Submission, and the Dutch Muslim Community

Nederhop and Youth Culture

Prostitution, Drugs, and Crime: For Better or for Worse?

Virtual 3rd Place: Collaborative International Research

UW Research Symposium

Presentation (large AVI files)

Chris
Lisa
Demi
Shilpa
Belinda 1
Belinda 2
Lacy

Poster

Research Proposal--Basic Structure

Paradox and Progress || Spring Seminar H A&S 397A || due 12 june 2006
-- revised 18 May 2006 --

1. Revised abstract (200 words max)—the abstract will be close to its final draft, but does not need to be THE final version.

2. Background (~1000 words) – an overview that synthesizes project for all group members This should include:

• Literature review (from your readings discuss what are the core issues, common concerns, and debates)
• Context (Why is the topic relevant. How will it advance yours and others understanding of the field? Remember to consider why it is of personal interest to you.)
• Problem(s) (what are the struggles you have encountered while beginning your research?)
  

3. Research Questions. This is where you set up your individual research as one component of the overall group research project. Spend one or two paragraphs developing your specific research question(s).

• researcher 1
• researcher 2
• researcher 3 (if applicable)
  

4. Research Methods (~1000 words/approximately 2 pages, plus bibliography)

• Discuss interdisciplinary and how it is or is not relevant to your project
• Affordances- how is each method appropriate for your research
• Limitations- what are the limitations of each method
• Reflexivity- what biases and what assumptions do you bring to the project
• Analysis- how will the data collected help answer/ask your research question)
• preliminary bibliography (basic sources that demonstrate the direction you are taking in investigating your topic)
  

5. Human Subjects: discuss 1) your methods for recruiting (interview) subjects, and 2) measures taken to guarantee confidentiality and anonymity.

6. Daily research schedule while in Amsterdam (1-2 pages). You should have one consolidated schedule for the group. The schedules should include resources you will use in Amsterdam, i.e.:

• People (names, titles, etc.)
• Places (address)
• Equipment
• Information

7) Reference List (bibliography)

8) Interview guidelines (for your reference):

9) All work to be submitted via group wiki by midnight 12 June 2006

Domain Analysis - Methods Assignment

Greetings all-

First, I want say that Julie and I are thrilled with the way ALL of your projects are progressing. You have all worked very hard and are producing amazing work. This is the last of the four methods exercises. Think of it as one more tool in your research toolbox and as an opportunity to have some fun.

1) Choose a site of social interaction and conduct a domain analysis. Your site of social interaction can be physical, textual, or virtual. The physical can be *any* location where people interact. Textual includes just about any medium, text (from policy to poetry), audio, video, etc. Virtual is anything online (reference Hine’s virtual ethnography). Think broadly—this can be anywhere you find social interaction or the representation of social interaction.

2) Use the structure provided in the Spradley reading. Feel free to interpret this structure liberally—and interpolate freely. This means let the structure inform your approach but take liberties to adapt it to your topic, site, and interests as well as to interpret your findings. Although it is not a requirement, consider a site that is related to your research project.

3) Blog the results from, and your experience with, the assignment. Note the affordances and limitations of the method.

4) Give a group presentation of your findings on Monday.

Our goal with these methods assignments is to equip you with skills that help you achieve success with your research AND to facilitate your exploration of Amsterdam.

We encourage you to work in your research groups for this assignment but it is not a requirement. The results from your last group activity were very exciting, however we recognize you are all busy so you can accomplish this assignment in your groups or individually.

References:

1) Clarke Speed’s Lecture (mp3):
2) Hine (2005) Virtual Methods, Chapters 1 & 2,
3) James P. Spradley, "Making a Domain Analysis" from the book Participant Observation

Urban Studies Methods Assignment

The goal of this assignment is to use the urban studies methods that you read about and the ideas presented by Professor Ryan, to explore possibilities related to your research topic. What I mean by possibilities is to explore and observe a setting in Seattle that will help you understand how to approach a similar setting in Amsterdam.

This experience should inform 1) the kinds of things you can learn from an urban place, 2) the way you will approach urban places in Amsterdam, and 3) perhaps even how you think about your research question.

For Monday each group (this is a group project) will need to:

- Choose a place in the city; a building, a public space, a neighborhood, an historical site, a piece of public art, etc.

- Meet at this place and explore, observe, inquire, and document (take notes, photographs, etc.)


Deliverables:

1) blog your experience and how this way of data gathering might help you in Amsterdam

2) as a group, present what you found, what you learned, and how this approach informs your research in Amsterdam (or doesn’t).


A couple of things to note: An urban context can tell you things. Observing environmental behavior can tell you things. Places, built environments, are neutral about the questions you ask.

Professor Ryan provided a tremendous set of resourses for you. Along with an mp3 of his talk, you can find them on the course blog at “Guest Lecture Archives”. For those interested in people wrt your research, check out the link to “etic vs emic.”

And finally…

Get out now. Not just outside, but beyond the rap of the programmed electronic age so gently closing around so many people at the end of our century. Go outside, move deliberately, then relax, slow down, and look around. Do not jog. Do not run…Walk. Stroll. Saunter…Explore.

OUTSIDE LIES MAGIC -Stilgoe