Today we had a module Two on-line session.
We talked about
The importance of finding a topic to start
working with. In the handbook this is written as finding a question but what we
mean is an area you are interested in. Through the module you will be shaping
and molding. Finding an area is like getting your lump of marble and then you
will be shaping and molding the area/marble by using different tools such as shaping
it through looking at research methods you will use, shaping it by looking at
the ethical issues you will consider, shaping it by looking at what other
people have said (the literature review). Commit
to some marble/an area of interest so you can start to look at how you can
design the inquiry. If it is not quite right you will find in shaping it it
will start to be clearer and take a form that works for you.
Now you have committed to an area you need
to do a literature review. That is map the ideas other people have had around
your topic. You want to find out what
you don’t know you don’t know about your topic.
That does not mean read every single book
but know the areas of interest other people have had when they looked at your
topic. For instance if you are interested in finding out more about
choreography because you find at work you have been asked if you want to
choreograph a piece, areas to do a literature review might include finding out:
- About what choreographers say about their
own process and work.
- About what other people have said about
working with choreographers – looking at other people’s processes.
- Looking at the way people have chosen to
document their choreography
- About what kinds of choreography are there.
- About what people say choreography is.
- About the kinds of people who choreograph –
they are not all dance trained
These are all areas of the literature that
have many books within them but finding out a little about what is thought in
that area will help you map more about your topic and also help you see where
your own interest lies. Lastly it will help you find out things about the topic
you had not thought about which will help shape
your inquiry. We also pointed out this is most important because in Module
three you need to analyse the inquiry data and activity and if you don’t know
much about your topic you can not analyse it to any depth.
Other sources are:
- Can you find a specialist journal on choreography
and what sort of discussions are published in that?
- Are there any videos about choreography?
Lastly you need to look at literature about
how people have researched and designed research in your field of interest. Researching in the field of choreography is
different than researching in geography or microbs. You need to know how
designs for research in your field have been carried out and what you feel
would work for you in your Professional Practice. You need explain how
choreography research is different from xxxx
You can use the University Library as a great source of info. You can use Summon to
gather a really good range of articles. DO not just google use Google Scholar, try not to ‘just come
across something’ work out what the schools of thought are how many people
think a thing is what your reading old school or a new idea in the field?
All of this is helping you shape the
direction you want to go in.
As you do this keep notes on Ethics – things people describe as things to reflect
on or even as problems. Notice what you question and where you have problems
with what people have said or done or even how much a problem finding something
is. Is there a lot of information about Male European choreographers but not
much on West Indian women choreographers for instance? How will affect your
inquiry.
The people at the on-line session are also
posting on what they found helpful or interesting please visit and comment.
Tuesday is the next First Tuesday Group
Skype hope to hear what you are doing then.
Adesola
