Inspire Topic
View more presentations from Rosemary McGuinness.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Still trying to find a research topic?
Paula and Peter have posted more helpful advice on this topic recently in advance of the next Campus Session (March 3rd). I came across this journal which is available from our library. The topics that are covered by the journal are as follows:
Studies of Dancers
Ballet
Choreography
Dance and Movement
Dance and Music
Dance History and Social History
Folk Dance
Injuries, Fitness and Nutrition Studies
Performance Technique
The Sociology of Dance
The Anthropology of Dance
Perhaps looking at these categories could help you focus on a topic you would like to investigate. For instance under the topic - "Sociology of Dance" is there a relation between type of dance e.g. ballet or hip-hop and social class? Or in relation to dance and music - which came first the music or the dance? Or indeed is there a link between nutrition and dance performance?
PS. I found this journal from the Society for Dance Research web page.
Monday, 22 February 2010
The Literature Review
The literature is an important part of learning about your research topic.
Up to now you have had lots of advice on the above. There was Paula Nottingham’s talk at Campus Session 1 on 16th Feb. Her presentation is available from her blog and gives lots of advice on how to find the literature from the resources in Middlesex.
The Middlesex library subject guides list is extensive and you may find yourself consulting more than one of the 43 subject guides. For instance if you are in the discipline of Dance Performance, then clearly you will need to consult the Dance subject guide. However if you wanted to explore setting up a dance school then you would want to consult the Business and Management subject guide as well. Or if you wanted to explore the teaching of dance then you would need to consult the Education guide. Have a look at the list of subject guides from this link and see which you may need to look at. Looking at the list may also help you to think laterally about topics for your research project.
Secondly there is a link to Internet Detective which is an online tutorial to guide you into accessing quality materials on the Web. Thirdly, there is the video clip from Alan Durrant on this blog earlier today.
When you actually find the literature the following points might prove helpful.
1. Skim read by checking the index (if it’s a book), the table of contents, headings and subheadings throughout the piece. The introduction and conclusion would also be helpful to read and then focus in on the heart of the piece.
2. Take notes as you skim read to aid your understanding. Later you can come back to these notes and decide what the article is really about.
3. Read and quickly come to the point where you can you can sum up the kernel of the piece in one sentence – this takes practice.
4. Note the bibliographic citation (Author, Title, Where Published, Date of Publication). Check this following link to guidance on referencing,
5. Decide what contribution it’s making to your topic. What angle is it taking?
6. Then you need to construct a narrative about the literature – check this link from the University of Toronto on how to approach a Literature Review
I heard a former colleague of mine at Queen’s University Belfast (Caitlin Donnelly) describe the literature review very well. She suggested thinking of it as having authors around for a dinner party and in the discussion (about your topic) they each offered an opinion or threw some light upon it. Some were in agreement but others were not. When the dinner party is over you recount the discussion for a friend and that account is the basis for your written literature review.
Up to now you have had lots of advice on the above. There was Paula Nottingham’s talk at Campus Session 1 on 16th Feb. Her presentation is available from her blog and gives lots of advice on how to find the literature from the resources in Middlesex.
The Middlesex library subject guides list is extensive and you may find yourself consulting more than one of the 43 subject guides. For instance if you are in the discipline of Dance Performance, then clearly you will need to consult the Dance subject guide. However if you wanted to explore setting up a dance school then you would want to consult the Business and Management subject guide as well. Or if you wanted to explore the teaching of dance then you would need to consult the Education guide. Have a look at the list of subject guides from this link and see which you may need to look at. Looking at the list may also help you to think laterally about topics for your research project.
Secondly there is a link to Internet Detective which is an online tutorial to guide you into accessing quality materials on the Web. Thirdly, there is the video clip from Alan Durrant on this blog earlier today.
When you actually find the literature the following points might prove helpful.
1. Skim read by checking the index (if it’s a book), the table of contents, headings and subheadings throughout the piece. The introduction and conclusion would also be helpful to read and then focus in on the heart of the piece.
2. Take notes as you skim read to aid your understanding. Later you can come back to these notes and decide what the article is really about.
3. Read and quickly come to the point where you can you can sum up the kernel of the piece in one sentence – this takes practice.
4. Note the bibliographic citation (Author, Title, Where Published, Date of Publication). Check this following link to guidance on referencing,
5. Decide what contribution it’s making to your topic. What angle is it taking?
6. Then you need to construct a narrative about the literature – check this link from the University of Toronto on how to approach a Literature Review
I heard a former colleague of mine at Queen’s University Belfast (Caitlin Donnelly) describe the literature review very well. She suggested thinking of it as having authors around for a dinner party and in the discussion (about your topic) they each offered an opinion or threw some light upon it. Some were in agreement but others were not. When the dinner party is over you recount the discussion for a friend and that account is the basis for your written literature review.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Campus Session 1 - 16th Feb 2010
The guidance notes I used at this session are viewable ....
Learning Diary
View more documents from Rosemary McGuinness.
Campus Session 1 - 16th Feb 2010
I facilitated a short session on "Choosing a Research Topic". Here are the slides I used in this session
Choosing A Topic
View more presentations from Rosemary McGuinness.
Greta Garbo came to Donegal
What a great title for a play! So of course I had to go to see it at the Tricycle in Kilburn last night. Frank McGuinness is the playwright and earlier plays of his that I really enjoyed are the "Factory Girls", "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching towards the Somme" and "Someone to Watch over me". But back to Garbo. The arrival of the great actress in 1967 to a house in Donegal signals much drama. Many themes are brought up in the play (too many?) – such as the oppressor and the oppressed, queer desire and love, sibling loyalty and loss, parental loss, and the ache to escape from the daughter in the piece. There are poignant moments in the play with many relationships explored. The two most aching are the female ones – the mother - daughter relationship and the actress - housekeeper one. Greta Garbo had some great lines delivered in a gloomy Swedish deadpan kind of way. The play constantly takes the audience in unexpected directions and while it’s flawed in that it attempts to take on too much, it is nonetheless a great night in the theatre. The humour and the poignancy were well delivered by the excellent cast.
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