Context of Practice 3: Presentation for Dissertation

In order to get feedback on the research we have been conducting and the direction that we intend to go in in regards to COP 3, we have been asked to produce a presentation.

At this point, due to the fact that I have been looking at shop techniques and have been taking an interest in atmospherics, I wanted to include this within my essay as well as talk about the psychological connections as to why these atmospherics are used.

My presentation has a lot of text on it but, due to the fact that it is trying to show what aspects of theory we want our presentation to go into, it seems only right that this is the case, however, I have laid out the information so that it is much clearer to digest.

Presentation Notes and Feedback

I made some notes before the presentation so that I had a clear focus as to what I was saying when I was presenting.

At the end of the presentation, I was given feedback which I also made notes on (See Pink Writing). I was told about how certain shops use atmospherics which makes it part of the experience and was given a list of books to check out. It was suggested I focus on Starbucks just because of the wealth of information out there on it with it being such a big brand in the field. I was also told to watch the documentaries 'Century of the Self' and 'The Greatest Movie Ever Sold'. Overall, I got some positive feedback on what I was doing and I feel comfortable about where my project is going and excited to start working on it now I know that the direction I am going in is the right one.

Following on from this, I wanted to make sure that I was ready for the first tutorial, so I went ahead and started planning the structure of my essay.

Essay Structure

This way, I had a strong, steady plan for the essay which I could take into the first tutorial and discuss  how I would move forward.

Context of Practice 3: Lecture Notes- Methodologies & Critical Analysis

Thursday 7th October 2014
"Methodologies & Critical Analysis" 
Richard Miles

Methodologies

Methods
- How the information you have found is sourced, collected, collated and presented
- How are you going to get about getting the information and collecting and organising the information
- This is about you taking control of your research- clearly evidence why you selected these methods and why they are most appropriate

Methodologies
- A set or system of methods, principles and rules for regulating a given discipline
- Philosophy- the analysis or study of such methods and their strengths and weaknesses
- Picking a side and knowing why you've picked that side

Theories
- These can help you decide upon the methods you use. Alternatively the material you find may suggest the appropriate theories
- A coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction

Examples of theories used by students:
- Psychological: Freud, Jung
- Social History / Marxist
- Communication Theory: Shannon-Weaver Model
- Post Colonialism
- Feminist

There are different branches of theories that will lead onto different stand-points within the theories.
Each particular theory or standpoint will have its own answers or bias.
Which theories are going to maximise the research that you are going to undertake?

Make your studio practice your methodology?

The list is endless but choose the theories and methods most appropriate to your subject

1. Make decisions about how to collect and order information
2. Choose a relevant theoretical stand point
3. Apply these to your study
4. Explicitly outline this in the introduction. Address suggested failings in the conclusion
5. Have a number of chapters for different sections of your essay- this should be outlined within the introduction so that it shows that you have an outlined methodological strategy.

Critical Analysis

Weighing up different sides of an argument, evaluating it and summing it up by providing your own opinion from your research

Skeptical approach- distrusting and trying to disprove an idea by weighing up a number of different options

Reasoned Thinking- 'Stepping away' and using evidence and logic to come to your conclusions

Awareness of Perspectives- different takes on things which are both equally correct and neither wrong

Try to consider different points of view- Has this theory been challenged or accepted by others?

Where am I coming from? How is my topic influenced by my emotions, aspirations and context?

CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING

Consider the influence of one or more of the following:
- Time
- Place
- Society
- Economical
- Technological
- Philosophical
- Scientific Thought

Evidence

Where is the evidence for what you are saying?
How can you support what you are saying in your essay?
- Quotes/ Experiments/ Observations that back up what you have said
- You need to passionately argue your position and have research to back it up
- Could you find more evidence to support your conclusions?

EVIDENCE +  REASON +  LOGIC + ARGUMENT = DISSERTATION CONTENT

Argument
- What do I want to say?
- Have I got the evidence to back it up?
- Where else do I need to look in order to find more evidence?

Triangulation
- Pitting alternative theories against the same body of data
- Comparing different theories for and against something

AM I EXPRESSING MYSELF CLEARLY AND LOGICALLY?

A Clear Logical Plan
- Keep it simple and focus on a few key issues
- Look at the key issues in depth
- Discuss your issues and the evidence you have found
- Move from the general to the specific