Concept of a figure by a five year old child (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AAD 607 Digital Ethnography (Spring 2014)
Concept Paper :: final assignment guidelines

Due: Mon. June 9
Length: 15-20pp

Through this writing assignment, you will outline and explore a concept related to the broader topic of “digital ethnography” we are discussing over the course of this quarter. You should describe and examine this concept in light of research you are currently conducting and/or designing (imagining, planning, crafting, etc). That is, you should be able to articulate how you might or will apply this concept in a specific research context. The concept (or concept cluster) may take the form of a particular tool, method, approach, or orientation enmeshed with digital ethnography, in the widest sense of the term. Your concept need not be singular (i.e. one thing or item), but may be a series or grouping of related items (eg. software tools for mapping). The specificity will depend on your needs, interest, and goals in exploring the concept, and I am available to consult with you on this aspect of the assignment.

In outlining your concept, you should draw on items we have collected in our Diigo group as well as articles and other resources we have discussed each week. You should also extend your resource list by working with materials that may be more particular to your concept and research interests. There is no set number of items you need to reference, but I do expect to see that you can situate your concept within a body of literature, thinking, and practice by demonstrating how others understand, use, or otherwise engage with the concept. These “others” may be academics or researchers, as well as practitioners, community members, creators, etc.

While your exploration of the concept may take many forms or have facets very specific to your imagined/actual use of it, I want to see discussion of the concept in relation to the following: 1. examination of digital ethnographic methods and tools (e.g. how do you use this concept?); 2. articulation of ethical concerns or issues (e.g. what do we need to think about or prepare for with the “digital”?); and 3. preparation for any technological challenges, needs, or improvisations (e.g. what might go wrong? what might require tech assistance?). Of course, your discussion may focus elsewhere or go into depth on topics outside of these three, but each student should provide some space in their discussion for these considerations.

Recall from class discussion so far that there is much flexibility in this assignment, in that it should fit within a larger research context for each of you. As such, the above guidelines can (and should) mold to what you are actually working on; please do consult with me in order to tailor the assignment to your specific situations.

Rubric (total of 25pts available):
* clear description of concept = 5pts
* connection to actual/emergent research = 5pts
* examination of concept in relation to three required segments:
– methods/tools = 2.5pts
– ethical issues = 2.5pts
– technological prep = 2.5pts
* use of course resources/readings = 2.5pts
* use of external resources = 2.5pts
* grammar & flow = 2.5pts