Mar 23 2009
Final Products
Final Products
A Field Project/Portfolio that includes Technology
The major product of this course will be the student’s Field Project. Many of the portfolio notes and small writing assignments in the course contribute to the final project, and all of the student’s work throughout the term should be geared to the final project/portfolio. Each will have a chance to present her or his findings throughout the course and at the end of the semester. The preliminary reports will be opportunities to share process, problems, thrilling moments, and outcomes with the class. They are also opportunities to get collective feedback throughout the term.
Students present their final products in three (3) formats:
- The presentation of the students’ field project to the instructors and their peers. A “public performance” for the class in which they demonstrate what they have learned in terms of fieldwork and how they have incorporated some of the technologies they have learned in the course. As a professional anthropologist, you will be expected to present your research both at professional conferences and in scholarly journals. In this course, you will learn how to do both. We will use your presentation as a tool to help you identify areas of your research that you need to expand on in your final paper. It will also provide the opportunity for you to share your fieldwork with your peers as you would in a typical conference setting.If you were going to read your paper at a conference, you would generally prepare a 15-minute presentation. The most successful presentations are those that are engaging, creative, and informative. Your presentation should take advantage of visual media, and be easy for the audience to understand. You should also provide a handout for each audience member. All of the students’ work throughout the term should be geared to the final project. Student presentations will be recorded and evaluated by their peers.
- A portfolio/notebook that includes samples of fieldnotes, interviews, maps, etc. The portfolio will be submitted with the final paper. Your portfolio should contain samples of the work done throughout the course, including original interviews, visual aids, transcriptions, multimedia products and in-class assignments, etc.
- A 15-20 page ethnographic description and analysis detailing bibliographic research, methodology, process, findings, etc. In other words, the final paper will detail the project’s goals, methods, and research results or preliminary findings. The final paper should also demonstrate that the student has absorbed the reading materials from the course and incorporated some of them. The final paper should also include revision based on feedback from your instructors and peers subsequent to your presentation. The final paper will be submitted with the student’s class portfolio, which should contain samples of the work done throughout the course, including original interviews, maps, in-class assignments, etc.
Both presentations and papers should address the following areas in some way:
- Introduction
What is the central topic of your fieldwork? This section should start with your general research objectives, then provide an explanation of the context of your work, and end with a clear statement of your findings. - Literature Review
This section should be a summary and comparative study of scholarly works that address your topic. This section allows you to list the full citations of any literature you plan to cite in your final paper. Focus on the papers that are particularly relevant to your research. - Methods
Describe your methodology. Provide essential details about your subjects, informants, fieldsite, data collection and analysis. You might include fieldnotes, samples of audio/video recordings, photographs, data visualizations, interview transcriptions, coding methods, and survey results. If some facet of your project is peripheral, then leave it out. - Results and Conclusion
What is the central message of your results? What did you find? Did your field experience come out the way you expected; did you discover something completely new? This is important. What is the dramatic finding that you want your audience to remember? And why should they care? This is very important, because your colleagues will want to learn not only about what you did but also about why it is significant. - Acknowledgments
The acknowledgments section is your opportunity to thank the people you worked with, including any institutions or organizations that provided information or assistance, as well as anyone who lent a hand. - Discussion
Be prepared to discuss your fieldwork and findings in greater depth. Your audience may have very specific questions. Be prepared to address specific details about your fieldwork and methodology that you did not cover explicitly.
