1. A Survival Guide Dave Toulson 25/4/2017
The Research Project
A Survival Guide
Dave Toulson
25/4/2017

2. Today we’ll be discussing…
The two most important things to remember
What makes a good research project
How to start
Different approaches
Questions

3. Don’t Panic

4. K.I.S.S

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID Not the terrible American glam Rock band*
Rather Keep It Simple Stupid
This works for a lot of work at University but is even more important on the digital project.
*Seriously if you listen to KISS un-ironically or know someone who does please seek help.

6. Bad Idea http://www.theworldsworstwebsiteever.com/ -Too much going on.
-Really not clear what the site is about

7. Good Idea

8. Where to Begin
Your project serves your research not the other way round.
Pick a topic area you are actually interested in.

9. 6 Steps to Success 1) Pick a topic you are interested in
2) Pick a rough research question
3) Find three primary sources
4) Find five secondary sources
5) Does your rough research question match your sources. If not alter question accordingly
6) Decide how to present your argument

11. 1) Topic: Popular Music and Politics
2) Rough Question: Was Popular music a revolutionary force in the twentieth century
3) Primary sources: MRC, Rock’s Back Pages etc
4) Secondary Sources: Loads
5) Change to focus on punk
6) Decide how to do it

12. Getting Started
Go to myportfolio.warwick.ac.uk

13. A Demonstration

14. Different Approaches There are a number of ways to do this task
However it would be good to have your primary sources embedded in some way (this also frees up words for your word count)

15. Mostly Text and Images
It is perfectly legitimate to do the research project through text and images.
Be strategic with your images.
Make sure you analyse and don’t simply describe the sources.

16. Podcast and Videocast II: Electric Boogaloo
You might want to re visit some of the skills you developed in the podcast task
This can possibly serve different sources (film/television clips or music) better than just text

17. Podcast and Videocast Reminders
Importance of vocal expression and clarity.
Image selection, and transition choices
Not overdone
Background music? Or silence?

18. Other (Complicated) Approaches
Digital History (see previous years presentation)
Visualising history (graphs, text analysis etc)
I’m happier to talk through these approaches on a 1-1 basis.
Remember the golden rule of K.I.S.S.

20. To Conclude
You will be creating a web-page on myportfolio, even if it is mostly text
We’d expect 95% of you to include some images (e.g. of the primary
sources)
A few of you will do all or part of your project as a video
E.g. using wevideo to speak over images
E.g. video-casting yourself reflecting on the project

21. Any questions?