Final Project
This assignment consists of four parts:
- Proposal due April 1 via email to Annette
- Conference with Annette April 4 or 5
- Final project due to Annette April 26
- Showcase presentation in class April 23
We’ve come a long way together: exploring different fields and methods and analyses together…and introducing ourselves soooo many times! We’ve had time to discuss this journey regularly, and in that time, we’ve been able to connect across the weeks of the course. The final project should continue that kind of work, but on your terms.
Final projects might be the application of a single method in your area of research, or they might synthesize several methods, addressing limitations and affordances for your field. Or they might be a critical engagement with methods from the perspective of a field outside your own, with the aim towards future collaboration or interdisciplinarity. Basically, once you’ve had a tour through a handful of methods, I’m asking you to put them in conversation either with each other, or with your work.
The format and content of the final project is flexible. Since individual units have each involved a project to be assessed, your final project for this course will be lighter than usual for graduate courses. Your project should be, roughly, the equivalent of a 7-10 page paper connecting to themes of the course. The format could be an actual 7-10 page paper, but could also be: a website, a video, a data visualization, a small database. We will discuss equivalencies in conference.
An informal proposal will be due to Annette on April 1, via email. In this proposal, I’d like to for you answer these questions:
- What methods will you be using or referring to in your project?
- In what format will your project be, and why?
- What do you hope to learn from your project?
- What potential futures do you envision for this project? (Ideally, there is/are future(s) for the project itself, but if not, you can refer to what you hope your knowledge gained from the project will do for your own future.)
- What challenges do you see in completing your project?
You can answer these questions by responding to them individually, or more organically and synthetically. I am not particularly concerned about the format of your proposal; I’m just interested in your answers. I’ll check in with other instructors if relevant in order to give you feedback. We’ll meet April 4 or 5 to discuss your project.
Final Projects will be due on the Friday after the last day of class, April 26. Please turn the project in to me (Annette) via email attachment or link or shared Pitt Box folder (whichever is more appropriate for your project).
During class on Tues, April 23, all unit instructors will be invited to hear about your final projects and celebrate the work of the seminar.
As always, please contact me with questions! –Annette