Fieldwork Activity – Digital ZeitgeistResearch the phenomenon of Digital Zeitgeists.Research question (choose ONE):• What does the phenomenon of digital zeitgeists sayabout our culture?• What are the characteristics of the digital zeitgeist asan information filter, and how does it compare toforms of zeitgeist in other media?• What is the difference between various versions ofdigital zeitgeist on different sites, and what is thereason for these differences?For more Information please find the pdf attached.atleast 3 peer-reviewed articlesNeed to follow the following format.Intro – brief paragraph (though may not be necessary) Research Question – 1 sentence. Sample & Methodology – 1 paragraph Findings & Analysis – the vast majority of your paper (approx. 700-850 words) Conclusion – short paragraph summarising your findings with respect to your research question.
fieldwork_1___digital_zeitgeists_ts_2016__1_.pdf
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MCC315 TJ, 2016
Fieldwork activity 1: Digital Zeitgeists
Due by 11pm, Friday 7th October via Moodle (if you are having problems with
Moodle, please email your assignment through to your affiliate teacher before
the due date. Please ensure you have carefully read through pages 21 & 22 of the
Unit Guide).
The following information is an elaboration of what is in the Unit Guide
following what we went through in class as well as a response to some
questions I have received. If anything below is unclear or there is
something you would like to ask about that is not addressed in this
document, please discuss this with your affiliate teacher!
The point of these fieldwork activities is to look at new media as a sociologist or cultural
theorist would.
Fieldwork activity 1 Digital zeitgeist
o Research the phenomenon of digital zeitgeists
Review your notes from the lectures dealing with this topic.
– As we know zeitgeist means ‘spirit of the time’, so when we
talk about this we mean things that are popular or ‘trendy’
and in the public consciousness. Remember, in this activity a
digital zeitgeist is a very specific website/service. Some have
suggested in previous years that ‘selfies’ are an example of a
digital zeitgeist, this is a very good example of a
contemporary zeitgeist of digital or mobile phone culture
more broadly (just as marriage equality could be considered
an important part of the current Australian political
zeitgeist), but when we talk about digital zeitgeists for the
purposes of this fieldwork activity, we mean sites that
measure trends and then present that information in a
digital form (in this case websites).
– In class we looked at the following (but this list is not
exhaustive by any means!):
• Google Trends/Hot Trends/Trends 2014/Google
Zeitgeist 2011
• Youtube Trends Dashboard/
#PopularOnYouTubeAustralia
• Twitter (See also http://trends24.in/australia/)
• Reddit/Digg
• Delicious
Choose a research question.
– For example:
• What does the phenomenon of digital zeitgeists say
about our culture?
• What are the characteristics of the digital zeitgeist as
an information filter, and how does it compare to
forms of zeitgeist in other media?
• What is the difference between various versions of
digital zeitgeist on different sites, and what is the
reason for these differences?
• If you wish to use a question of your own, I would
strongly advise you run it by your affiliate teacher
first – remember, they are the ones marking your
paper so you need to be on the ‘same page’! If you’re
going to come up with your own research question
don’t leave it too late!
– It is important that you break down the question into its
component parts. What exactly is it asking? If you’re
examining culture, it’s important that you clearly define
what culture means; if you are comparing digital zeitgeists
with non-digital, it’s important that you actually examine
non-digital zeitgeists (and include this in your sample!)
Choose a sample
– You will need to compare/contrast several digital zeitgeists
no matter which research question you tackle. You may also
want to think about the types of zeitgeist sub-categories
within each site.
– Your sample should have a sufficient amount of information,
DO NOT just look at 5 Google Zeitgeist year in review
videos! The videos do not sufficiently represent the data (and
indeed may focus on things disproportionately because the
purpose of the video is different to the zeitgeist more
broadly).
– As far as a sample is concerned, five is probably the magic
number (though if you are choosing the question which
compares digital to non-digital it’s important you have an
even amount of both, ie 3 each = 6).
– People have asked in previous years if their sample should be
5 different years of Google Zeitgeist or 5 different unique
zeitgeists. Ultimately this is up to you (both are fine). I think
if you looked at Google Zeitgeist from the 5 year span
between 2011-2015 for example, you could definitely come
up with some interesting findings and analysis (In the past,
the best papers have concentrated on 5 different years of
Google Zeigeist/Trends by year in light of how they
represent culture). Whether you choose to do it this way or
choose to look at 1 year of Google zeitgeist and 4 other
different zeitgeist websites (or 5 sites other than Google
Zeitgiest) it is up to you.
– Remember, Google Zeitgeist/Trends by year is static
information ie it is information that has already been
collected and will not change. If you choose to look at
dynamic information, ie 5 days’ worth of Google Hot Trends,
it is important that you are consistent (more on this below in
the methodology section).
– Remember, it is important that you justify why you think a
particular site can be considered a digital zeitgeist for the
purposes of this activity. Ultimately your sample will also
depend on your research question and methodology. You can
do this succinctly in one sentence.
– You should also strongly consider reflecting your sample in
an appendix at the bottom of your document (ie if you are
looking at Google Hot Trends, it would be useful to have
tables/screenshots of the results for every day of your study
– this makes it much easier for your affiliate teacher to verify
and reflect on your findings/analysis).
Formulate a methodology
– What will you be looking for? How often will you be looking
(if you are dealing with dynamic information)? What are
your observables?
• If you do decide to investigate dynamic information,
for example the top Singaporean trends on Twitter,
it is important that your methodology accounts for
this consistently (ie looking at – and documenting the trends at the exact same time each day for a
week, or the exact 3 times a day for five days. This
should fit in with your schedule – if you’re not going
to be able to check at 12pm every day because of
other commitments, don’t choose this time! Perhaps
checking at 8pm every night will suit you better for
example, or if you have a varied schedule it may be
more pragmatic to look at static information like
Google
Zeitgeist/Trends
year
in
review
information).
– How will you codify what you have found?
• As you look at the information across your sample
you will most probably begin to see patterns forming
and you should be able to categorise this information,
ie ‘celebrity’, ‘sport’ etc. Your methodology should
clearly explain how and why you sort and classify
information for the purposes of demonstrating your
findings and then analysing these in relation to your
research question!
Are there any limitations to your methodology? Why/why
not? There is nothing wrong with identifying limitations to
your study, after all this is an assignment that is only being
worked on in a limited amount of time, it is not a PhD thesis!
You can also demonstrate critical thinking by identifying
your studies’ downfalls and perhaps how they could be
improved if you undertook a similar study in the future.
• If you are looking at Google Zeitgeist/Trends by
year, you will notice that the information is displayed
differently, it is important to consider this as it may
impact on your findings.
– The more thought you give your methodology the better
your results will be. While your methodology should only be
about a paragraph in the suggested format (again below), just
because you can’t afford to dedicate too many words to it in
your written work, it doesn’t mean you can’t give it good
thought! Remember, this is the what/where/when/why
section – what are you looking for? Where on the site are
you looking for it? How often? Why have you chosen to seek
to answer your research question this way? (this list is not
exhaustive!!!)
Describe your findings and analyse this in relation to your research
question.
– If you want you can use headings to demonstrate your
findings. Think about this very carefully! It is much better to
classify information via patterns you have discovered rather
than addressing each of your sample one by one (more on
this below).
– You should use academic sources to back up your arguments
(relative to your research question). More info on academic
databases is available on the library website.
Reference your research
– It is important that you consistently demonstrate where you
have found your information. You can find more information
on referencing on the library website. I prefer the footnote
method because I think it makes a document easier to read,
but you don’t have to use footnotes if you’re not comfortable
with this.
– There is no magic number as to how many references you
should use, but it is definitely quality over quantity. It is
better to have 4 or 5 relevant references than 15 irrelevant
ones. Your research should include looking at academic
references (and not just those that appear in the reader), but
you can of course also reference news or magazine articles
from Wired for example; documentaries; blogs and forums
–
–
etc. Again, this will partly depend on your research question
and methodology.
You should reference primary sources only (ie papers,
studies, theses) not secondary sources (ie lecture slides).
Your assessors know all the tricks of the trade, don’t make
up references etc, it’s a form of cheating!
Format
– Apart from instructions about clear articulation of your
research question, sample and methodology (above), it’s
ultimately up to you. It will depend on your sample and what
you have found as to the best way to present your piece.
People have asked in previous years if they can use headings
and can you make up pie charts or graphs? Absolutely! If this
helps you classify information and demonstrate trends that
occur across 5 years’ worth of Google search data for
example, then by all means! You will need to put some
thought into how you use this though. Remember, merely
describing isn’t enough. Don’t just use headings for the sake
of them. You need to demonstrate critical thinking and
analysis! For this reason, talking about each individual
zeitgeist 1 by 1 probably isn’t a good idea, you would be
much wiser to use headings to describe common trends you
have found or aberrations that may only exist in 1 years’
worth of data for example.
– Please see more info on suggested layout below
Proof read!
– It is imperative that you edit/proof-read your work well
because 1000 words isn’t a lot to play with. Being able to
deliver an insightful piece succinctly is a skill that employers
love! It can be done but will take work! If you start writing a
stream of consciousness piece and stop when you hit about
1000 words you’re probably not going to do very well. If you
write a first draft that is maybe 1500-2000 words and then
you make judgments as to which bits are more important
than others, cut down on the repetition and decide which bits
you can cut out you’ll do much better.
– As far as the flexibility with the word count is concerned,
please follow the 10% rule (ie going 10% over or under is
acceptable). If you go under the word count though you
clearly haven’t spent enough time on the exercise.
– Any appendices such as lists from Google Zeitgeist for
example; charts or tables; and reference lists/bibliography
will not count against your word count, however you should
not try and evade the word count by placing substantive
information in an appendix.
Suggested Format
Intro – brief paragraph (though may not be necessary)
Research Question – 1 sentence.
Sample & Methodology – 1 paragraph
Findings & Analysis – the vast majority of your paper (approx. 700-850 words)
Conclusion – short paragraph summarising your findings with respect to your
research question.
Introduction:
If you like you can write a brief introduction which may define key terms (eg
‘culture’). Remember, academic definitions are generally better than basic dictionary
definitions! This may not always be necessary depending on the content of your
piece so in some cases you can just start with your research question.
Research Question:
This only needs to be the research question, so 1 sentence. No need for wasted
words like “For my fieldwork activity I will be addressing the research
question:…” there you would have just wasted over 10 words, which in a
piece of only 1000 words is golden! Just jump straight into the question eg:
“Research Question: What does the phenomenon of digital zeitgeists say about
our culture?”. Remember, this is not a hypothesis or a mission statement; it is a
simple question that should be answerable based on looking at your sample and
then analysing your findings in light of existing literature on the subject.
Sample
As stated in the instructions in your unit guide/above, here you provide your
sample. It shouldn’t be very long at all. Remember it is better to look at 4 or 5
websites in detail than 20 websites superficially. If you like you can present
your findings and methodology together. The actual data can be presented as an
appendix in a table or as a screenshot (example below).
If you like you can also use dot points to show your sample because of the
small word count. Eg
• Google Zeitgeist 2011 (http://www.googlezeitgeist.com/en/)
• Google Zeitgeist 2012 (http://www.google.com/zeitgeist/2012/#theworld)
• Google Zeitgeist 2013
(http://www.google.com/trends/topcharts?zg=full)
• Google Year in Search 2014 (http://www.google.com/trends/2014/)
• Google Year in Search 2015
(https://www.google.com/trends/story/2015_GLOBAL)
Methodology:
As stated in your unit guide, here you should be writing about what you are
looking for. Why did you choose the sites you chose? Were you comparing sites
from different sub-genres or sites from the same genre? Why? If you were
considering dynamic/changing content, how often did you look at the sites? Note
your method of analysis and state why you chose to use this/these method(s).
This need only be a paragraph or so.
Findings & Analysis:
This section should be the vast majority/bulk of your paper.
Your findings are what you have found in examining your particular sampled
websites based on your methodology. No need for academic references here.
Analysis then considers your findings based on the arguments you are making
relative to your research question. This will be based on what you have found
personally in doing your fieldwork, but academic sources should then be used
here to help back up/justify your arguments.
You may wish to group findings and analysis together for each finding rather
than having separate sections. As mentioned above, it is probably better to
separate your different findings and provide analysis on them one by one rather
than having one big findings section and one big analysis section. Again, it is
better to have the 3 or 4 most important findings in detail than superficially try
and describe 10 different things you have found. You should use headings, eg:
Finding 1: A summary in a few words of what you have found
• First go into more detail about what you have personally found on the website;
• Then you should apply your outside research to your personal findings.
Finding 2: A summary in a few words of what you have found
• First go into more detail about what you have personally found on the website;
• Then you should apply your outside research to your personal findings.
Finding 3: A summary in a few words of what you have found
• First go into more detail about what you have personally found on the website;
• Then you should apply your outside research to your personal findings.
Conclusion:
Briefly describe what you have found again by specifically tying it to your
research question. This should be a short paragraph.
Appendix 1. Google Trends Australia as at 6:30PM 19th August 2015:
MCC315 New Media Technologies
Fieldwork Assignment Marking Guide
Criteria
Excellent
Structure:
•
•
•
•
•
Style:
•
•
Organisation/Presentation
(ie Linear flow of ideas; Use of clear headings etc)
Research question
(ie Is the research question sufficiently focussed? Is it
relevant?)
Sample & Methodology
(ie Are the sample and methodology clearly described,
justified and relevant to the research question?)
Length
(ie How well has the word limit been observed? Is the
piece too long/short?)
Referencing
(ie Are the sources properly acknowledged? Is there
consistent and accurate referencing? Are the sources
relevant to the discussion? Has adequate research
taken place?)
Tone & Expression
(ie Is the writing appropriate for academic work? Is the
use of English adequate?)
Grammar & Punctuation
(ie Has the piece been proof-read!?)
Content:
•
•
Findings
(ie Are the findings described clearly? Has the piece
focussed on the most relevant/interesting findings?)
Analysis
(ie How well are the findings analysed in light of what
was found? How well has the piece used the findings to
discuss previous studies/academia on the subject?)
Preliminary Score (/25):
Errors (/2):
•
– 0.5 marks per error
(4 or more errors = 0/2)
Final Score (/25):
Comments:
Good
Average
Poor
Unacceptable
…
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