Researching in the Digital Age I

DIGI10041 Researching in the Digital Age I 20 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 1 Markus Hetheier Unit coordinator School of Arts, Languages and Cultures 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' First part HE study/Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 The unit will introduce students to the basics and principles of doing academic research in the digital age. Students will learn about key concepts that structure all academic research, from distinctions between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ and ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ research, as well as the differences between tools, methods, and methodologies. In addition, students will be introduced to the basics of academic research, from conceiving research projects, designing research questions, and selecting research methods, to gaining ethical clearance, collecting research data, and writing up a research project – how all these are done, and why they matter. The course unit will offer students the opportunity to explore these fundamental components from a contemporary, media perspective, understanding how digital media, tools, and technologies shape academic, and social scientific, research but also what people come to understand as academic research in the digital age. Most importantly, students will understand how academic research traditions are always shaped by broader cultural and societal shifts and transformations, and how researching in the digital age is always situated, offering particular perspectives on research topics and phenomena. The unit will introduce students to the basics and principles of doing academic research in the digital age. Students will learn about key concepts that structure all academic research, from distinctions between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ and ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ research, as well as the differences between tools, methods, and methodologies. In addition, students will be introduced to the basics of academic research, from conceiving research projects, designing research questions, and selecting research methods, to gaining ethical clearance, collecting research data, and writing up a research project – how all these are done, and why they matter. The course unit will offer students the opportunity to explore these fundamental components from a contemporary, media perspective, understanding how digital media, tools, and technologies shape academic, and social scientific, research but also what people come to understand as academic research in the digital age. Most importantly, students will understand how academic research traditions are always shaped by broader cultural and societal shifts and transformations, and how researching in the digital age is always situated, offering particular perspectives on research topics and phenomena. The unit aims to: <ul><li>Introduce students to the basics and principles of doing academic research in the digital age</li><li>Offer understanding of the definitions of, and distinctions between, key theoretical and methodological concepts</li><li>Explore the social and cultural foundations for academic research traditions and interests </li><li>Provide fundamental knowledge of how to conduct academic research</li></ul> By the end of the course unit students should acquire a range of foundational academic research skills, including how to design an academic research project, with a specific focus on digital media and technology. These skills will be useful for conducting reliable, ethical, ‘good’, and inclusive research in both academic and non-academic settings. Students will also develop greater general understanding of the foundational concepts for researching in a digital age, offering them the possibility of designing and conducting research projects in a ‘non-instrumentalized’ manner, i.e. without before a narrowed focus on simply ‘using’ specific methods, tools, or software. Additionally, students will gain experience in working collectively and effectively communicating, and discussing, ideas in group settings. <ul><li>Define and distinguish between key concepts that provide the foundations for doing academic research in a digital age. </li><li>Demonstrate the basics of doing academic research in a digital age. </li><li>Articulate the role of academic fields, disciplines, cultures, and practices in doing digital research.</li></ul> <ul><li>Identify how academic research concepts structure the production of academic knowledge. </li><li>Compare how different academic styles, perspectives, and forms convey research topics and phenomena. </li><li>Examine how digital technological changes affect how academic research is practiced.</li></ul> <ul><li>Engage in oral and written discussions on academic research. </li><li>Develop pedagogic frameworks for comparing and contextualize key research concepts. </li><li>Acquire academic writing, citation, and referencing skills. </li><li>Use online and library materials and resources on conducting research in a digital age.</li></ul> <ul><li>Compare and contrast related concepts and terms. </li><li>Cultivate formal writing style, tone, and presentation appropriate to academic audiences. </li><li>Develop presentation and group participation skills.</li></ul> The unit will introduce the basics and principles of doing academic research in a digital age.The unit is divided into two parallel parts: concepts and practice. Regarding concepts, the unit will introduce a range of fundamental terms that form the basis of academic research, including theory and practice, quantitative and qualitative research, empirics and abstraction, critical thinking, and data and observation, amongst others.Regarding practice, the unit will introduce the basics of academic research, from conceiving research projects, designing research questions, and selecting research methods, to gaining ethical clearance, collecting research data, and writing up a research project. Overall, the unit is intended to provide students with a grounding for future research throughout their academic studies. The unit consists of 2-hour lectures and 1-hour seminars per week, delivered synchronously and in-person. Lectures will be delivered through presentation format with short individual/group tasks. Each lecture will have two parallel components in which different fundamental concepts (quantitative research, qualitative research, empirics, theory, method/ology) and practices (conceiving a research project, designing research questions, gaining ethical clearance, choosing a research method, collecting/analysing data, writing up a research project) of researching in the digital age are introduced. Seminars will be delivered through a mix of group reading and discussion of key texts, and practical workshop-style activities. In group settings students will be invited to, for example, identify examples of quantitative and qualitative research in academic, journalistic, and popular contexts; compare and contrast well-designed and poorly designed research projects, and to discuss and debate ethically sound and ethically dubious research projects. Students will have the opportunity to work on a group project within the seminars where they design a hypothetically ‘good’ research project, in line with contemporary thinking about what socially good research looks like in a digital world. 2 Written assignment (inc essay) 50% 7 Oral assessment/presentation 50% Written, via Canvas/Turnitin, within 15 working days. N Ash, J., Kitchin, R. and Leszczynski, A. (2024) Researching Digital Life: Orientations, Methods and Practice. London: Sage. Charles M. Ess, Elisabetta Locatelli, Aline Shakti Franzke (Eds.) (2023) Internet Research Ethics in the Platform Society: Theoretical Reflections, Research Experiences, and Open Questions. Special Issue of COMUNICAZIONI SOCIALI, available at: https://comunicazionisociali.vitaepensiero.it/scheda-fascicolo_contenitore_digital/charles-m-ess-elisabetta-locatelli-aline-shakti-franzke/comunicazioni-sociali-2023-2-internet-research-ethics-in-the-platform-society-theoretical-reflections-research-experiences-and-open-questions-001200_2023_0002-395669.html  Ruddock, A. (2017) Exploring Media Research: Theories, Practice, and Purpose. London: Sage.Seale, C. (2017) (4th ed.) Researching Society and Culture. London: Sage. Stokes, J. (2021) (3rd ed.) How to Do Media and Cultural Studies. London: Sage. Lectures 22 Seminars 11 0 167