Prussian Royal Palace (Stadtschloss) = palace of the Republic
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,406448,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtschloss,_Berlin
http://www.atlantic-times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=162
http://www.germany.info/relaunch/culture/new/cul_berlin_stadtschloss.htm
http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-9808(198803)47%3A1%3C92%3AHBCAR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0&cookieSet=1
Tempelhof Airport
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,550099,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3875545.stm
http://www.inberlin.nl/
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0425/p04s01-woeu.html
6.05.2008
Research 101 - Topics
The word "research" is used to describe a number of similar and often overlapping activities involving a search for information. For example, each of the following activities involves such a search; but the differences are significant and worth examining.
Research type
1. Find the population of each country in Africa or the total (in dollars) of Japanese investment in the U.S. in 2002.
(Essential characteristics) A search for individual facts or data. May be part of the search for the solution to a larger problem or simply the answer to a bar bet. Concerned with facts rather than knowledge or analysis and answers can normally be found in a single source.
2. Find out what is known generally about a fairly specific topic. "What is the history of the Internet?"
(Essential characteristics) A report or review, not designed to create new information or insight but to collate and synthesize existing information. A summary of the past. Answers can typically be found in a selection of books, articles, and Web sites. [Note: gathering this information may often include activities like #1 above.]
3. Gather evidence to determine whether gang violence is directly related to playing violent video games.
(Essential characteristics) Gathering and analyzing a body of information or data and extracting new meaning from it or developing unique solutions to problems or cases. This is "real" research and requires an open-ended question for which there is no ready answer. [Note: this will always include #2 above and usually #1. It may also involve gathering new data through experiments, surveys, or other techniques.]
In light of the diversity with which the concept "research" is viewed, here are some guidelines to keep in mind before you start on a class research project:
1. Understand the assignment. Don't risk selecting inappropriate materials or addressing irrelevant issues. No matter how well you write or speak, this will usually result in poor work. If necessary, discuss the assignment with your instructor.
2. Select a topic that interests you. Personal interest makes research more enjoyable and any presentation of the findings more enjoyable for its audience.
3. If possible, select a topic you are already researching for another project. This may not only save you some time but allow you to explore different facets of the same topic and build a deeper understanding.
4. Select a topic that is not likely to be chosen by others. Imagine a course instructor reading a dozen papers on the same two or three topics. Finding an original topic or perspective is likely to be looked upon favorably (but see #1 above.)
The Process of Gathering Information
· Key Points: Advancement of Knowledge; Exploratory; Curiosity; Open Mind; Reflexive (aware of own bias)
· Students may be using a combination of several methods and even hybrids of methods
______________________________________________________________________________
Methods
Correlation (Comparative): comparing two or more things to with a view to discover something new about one or both. This method is often interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary.
Space and time are often used and cross-national comparisons are most common.
Survey: Questions presented to individual or groups. Surveys can be handed out and response is written. Questions can be given orally to people, face to face, over phone over internet (email, Skype, etc.).
Interview: Structured with questions, or can be narrative, free flowing.
Case study: Extensive observations of a few individuals. Data collection may include watching behavior, interviews and “library” or internet research.
Observation (with field notes)
Direct and unobtrusive are two types. Direct is when they know you are watching. Unobtrusive is when they may not know when you are watching. Here’s a handy website with tutorial (through Brown University):
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/tutorial/Brown/lauratp.htm
Historical
Interpretation of the past. Often used to inform us of the present and future relating to the topic. Gives context.
Web Definition: The process of systematically examining past events to give an account; may involve interpretation to recapture the nuances, personalities, and ideas that influenced these events; to communicate an understanding of past events.
Ethnography--Use of fieldwork to provide descriptive study of human societies. Holistic (re: method often used by travel writers and cultural anthropologists)
Internet Research: practice of using the internet, websites, web tools to gather information about a topic. Knowledge is both documented and created on the internet. New emerging field is research about the Internet. Things to consider: credibility and ethics of internet research.
*Also, remember there is also old fashioned library research.
Other Definitions
Literature Review
Review of information (usually published work) about a topic. May also be a review of research in progress about the topic.
Primary sources Original documents and other original materials such as photos, drawings, letters, diaries, documents, books, films, posters, play scripts, speeches, songs, sheet music, and first-person accounts.
Secondary sources Information created about a topic such as journal articles about a topic.
Ways of interpreting and presenting your discoveries
Performative (via composition and Viewpoints method J)
Writing and blogging
Film, Video Clips, still photography, music, poetry, painting, etc.
Use Field Notebook (transfer notes to the above)
· Students may be using a combination of several methods and even hybrids of methods
______________________________________________________________________________
Methods
Correlation (Comparative): comparing two or more things to with a view to discover something new about one or both. This method is often interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary.
Space and time are often used and cross-national comparisons are most common.
Survey: Questions presented to individual or groups. Surveys can be handed out and response is written. Questions can be given orally to people, face to face, over phone over internet (email, Skype, etc.).
Interview: Structured with questions, or can be narrative, free flowing.
Case study: Extensive observations of a few individuals. Data collection may include watching behavior, interviews and “library” or internet research.
Observation (with field notes)
Direct and unobtrusive are two types. Direct is when they know you are watching. Unobtrusive is when they may not know when you are watching. Here’s a handy website with tutorial (through Brown University):
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/tutorial/Brown/lauratp.htm
Historical
Interpretation of the past. Often used to inform us of the present and future relating to the topic. Gives context.
Web Definition: The process of systematically examining past events to give an account; may involve interpretation to recapture the nuances, personalities, and ideas that influenced these events; to communicate an understanding of past events.
Ethnography--Use of fieldwork to provide descriptive study of human societies. Holistic (re: method often used by travel writers and cultural anthropologists)
Internet Research: practice of using the internet, websites, web tools to gather information about a topic. Knowledge is both documented and created on the internet. New emerging field is research about the Internet. Things to consider: credibility and ethics of internet research.
*Also, remember there is also old fashioned library research.
Other Definitions
Literature Review
Review of information (usually published work) about a topic. May also be a review of research in progress about the topic.
Primary sources Original documents and other original materials such as photos, drawings, letters, diaries, documents, books, films, posters, play scripts, speeches, songs, sheet music, and first-person accounts.
Secondary sources Information created about a topic such as journal articles about a topic.
Ways of interpreting and presenting your discoveries
Performative (via composition and Viewpoints method J)
Writing and blogging
Film, Video Clips, still photography, music, poetry, painting, etc.
Use Field Notebook (transfer notes to the above)
Group Composition
Group: Identity
Group composition. Firstly, it was really hard to meet together since some people have morning classes, afternoon time, people work and also have classes, evening? Some of us have night classes, which ends 8:30p or even 9:00p. But we met at night to figure out the composition.
None of the group members has background on drama or theater. It was hard to think what is good composition and bad. Honestly it is hard to think how to create composition.
Because the group is focusing on identity, we decided to tear down German identity into pieces and kill the main of identity – which we though nationalism – and rebuilding them. For the song, we chose German anthem to emphasize more focus on the nationalism.
Starting in a vertical linear format with different levels indicates different identity that made up German as one. Then it scattered out and got individual strong characteristic and yells out “ICH bin ein Deutscherin!” European nations became more nationalistic as well as German, then war broke out and German controlled most of Europe. Then German lost the war, the German nationalism died. After that, scattered identity put hands together; help to rebuild nationalism and German identity.
Although we had some parts of careless composition because we haven’t noticed that parts, I think it was pretty nice composition.
Group composition. Firstly, it was really hard to meet together since some people have morning classes, afternoon time, people work and also have classes, evening? Some of us have night classes, which ends 8:30p or even 9:00p. But we met at night to figure out the composition.
None of the group members has background on drama or theater. It was hard to think what is good composition and bad. Honestly it is hard to think how to create composition.
Because the group is focusing on identity, we decided to tear down German identity into pieces and kill the main of identity – which we though nationalism – and rebuilding them. For the song, we chose German anthem to emphasize more focus on the nationalism.
Starting in a vertical linear format with different levels indicates different identity that made up German as one. Then it scattered out and got individual strong characteristic and yells out “ICH bin ein Deutscherin!” European nations became more nationalistic as well as German, then war broke out and German controlled most of Europe. Then German lost the war, the German nationalism died. After that, scattered identity put hands together; help to rebuild nationalism and German identity.
Although we had some parts of careless composition because we haven’t noticed that parts, I think it was pretty nice composition.
Movie: Head on
'Head on' was a mad movie of mad people. Especially, the beginning and first two third of the stories were gross and confusing. It probably caused by cultural differences and different environments that I grew up. However, ending was pretty nice and simple.
Few things that I can get it from the movie would be a Turkish woman struggling between her traditional Turkish background and German life style.
A marriage for family honor
Desire of get away from family to obtain freedom
Importance of family honor to Turks – father tried to kill then ignored his daughter because she violated family honor. However, it was not a choice for him neither to survive in German Turks community.
Few things that I can get it from the movie would be a Turkish woman struggling between her traditional Turkish background and German life style.
A marriage for family honor
Desire of get away from family to obtain freedom
Importance of family honor to Turks – father tried to kill then ignored his daughter because she violated family honor. However, it was not a choice for him neither to survive in German Turks community.
Fair Play
Fair play was a weird play. It started with little bit negative minded regular people – means people who can be easily found around – but ended in a fantasy world. The part that made me uncomfortable would be that part. The most realistic people ended up in a fantasy world. Or it got on my nerves because of the fact of ‘controlling’. Thinking about I am controlled by somebody without my awareness makes me uncomfortable. Or some people might feel uncomfortable because they are serious realist, so couldn’t acknowledge some fantastic factors in the play. Although the play put me in an uneasy position, thinking about it right now, the play was pretty nicely composed piece; connection between the real world and the fantasy world through a drink and a wired theatrical house, people staying in a cyclic event, and realistic troubles in character’s life.
It was also good study of stage setting, usage of limited space, acting and composition. Dividing up different lives and spaces by putting frame and light gave good division between 5 characters although they were standing right next to each other. Using light structure as an airplane was really impressive usage.
It was also good study of stage setting, usage of limited space, acting and composition. Dividing up different lives and spaces by putting frame and light gave good division between 5 characters although they were standing right next to each other. Using light structure as an airplane was really impressive usage.
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