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[ Course Rationale ] The fundamental assumption guiding the design of this course is that all knowledge is a matter of methodology. The methods and methodologies you learn in this course will attune you to otherwise unrecognized or under-theorized phenomena. Consider Tracey

Sarsfield’s sculptures composed of resin, paint, fiberglass, and vinyl. Several of Sarsfield’s sculptures show two human figures, connected by black wires. In her recent exhibition, Reflected, Sarsfield asks, “when connecting with a fellow human being what is it that we share?” Sarsfield’s art makes visible the connections between ostensibly disparate things (fig. 1). This, too, is our trade: to enact a methodological cat’s cradle that, with every pass of the palm, turns seemingly benign strands or knots into structurally sound loops and layers.

Fig. 1. From Sarsfield’s Reflected  Another one of Sarsfield’s sculptures illustrates the kind of methodological attunements we’ll enact this semester. Rain (fig. 2) displays two aligned figures with their backs to one another. One faces upward toward the ceiling while the other faces downward, toward the ground. Connecting the two figures are hundreds of black fishing lines, representing rain. But is the rain falling from the top-down as one might expect? Or is it, counter intuitively, “falling” from the bottom-up? Rain makes a case for movement, form, and being as a matter of connection. Our methods and methodologies

RESEARCH METHODS SEMINAR The  world   is  devious  rather  than  dappled,   too  complex  to   fit  neatly   into  any  of  our  models,   theories,   or  explanations...everything  is  connected  to  everything  else,  even  if  in  ways  which  often  elude  us  and  may  in  fact  remain  forever  beyond  our  grasp.    -­‐E.  Fox-­‐Keller  2002,  p.  301    

[ contact ] christa teston, phd

denney 506 teston.2@osu.edu

[ engl 7895 ] wednesdays 2:20-5:20 pm denney 312

[ office hours ] wednesdays

11:00 am-2:00 pm + by appointment

Attunement  indicates  one’s  disposition  in  the  world,  how  one  finds  oneself  embedded  in  a  situation...it  results  from  the  co-­‐responsive  and  inclusive  interaction  that  brings  out  both  immersion  (being  with)  and  specificity  (the  way  of  our  being  there).    –Rickert  2013,  p.  9  

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should attune us to such complex connections, and leave open the possibility of that which seems impossible.

Latour (2005) asserts that action is “a node, a knot, and a conglomerate of many surprising sets of agencies that have to be slowly disentangled” (44). He admonishes us that we make a mistake when we “ignore the queerest, baroque, and most idiosyncratic terms offered by the actors, following only those that have currency in the rear-world of the social” (47, emphasis in original). This semester, we will explore strategies for attuning methodologically to heretofore-unnoticed nodes and knots. We will study the lines that connect, the queer spaces and places with which humans partner to make that which matters mean, and that which means matter. [ Learning Objectives ] Despite an ambitious set of learning objectives I’ve outlined for this course, I will remain open and flexible to your needs as the semester progresses—even if it means sacrificing one of the course’s aims. Ideally, however, by the end of the course, you should,

• Become adept at describing the current methodological state of our discipline, and be able to articulate your scholarly place therein;

• Know how to work with IRBs and compose a research protocol; • Feel confident when writing a methods section or chapter; • Through an 8-week pilot study, understand the iterative nature of: asking a researchable

question, designing a study, collecting data, analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and drafting a publishable manuscript.

In class, we’ll negotiate how these learning objectives will be achieved (i.e., either through collaboratively or individually written reports/disciplinary maps).

Figure  2.  Sarsfield's  Rain  

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[ Required Sources ] Books (ordered through Barnes & Noble) Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014). Qualitative Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook. Sage. Nickoson & Sheridan (2012). Writing studies research in practice: Methods and methodologies. Southern

Illinois UP. Tavory, I., & Timmermans, S. (2014). Abductive analysis: Theorizing qualitative research. University of

Chicago Press. Special Issues (available online through library) 2015. Special Issue on Contemporary Research Methodologies in Technical Communication,

Technical Communication Quarterly 24(1). 2013. Special Issue on New Methods for the Study of Written Communication. Written

Communication 30(3&4). 2012. Special Issue on Research Methods. College Composition and Communication 64(1). [ On Revision ] Don’t feel crestfallen when I ask you to revise. I adhere to writing research that suggests that final drafts are still merely drafts and that our best writing comes from multiple and iterative revisions. Accept that this is a part of our course (and your life). [ Additional Needs ] Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability (documented or undocumented) should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. You may also contact the Office for Disability Services at 614-292-3307, TDD 292-0901; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/, or visit them in room 150 Pomerene Hall to coordinate reasonable accommodations. [ Attendance Policy ] I expect you to be in class every day we meet, and to arrive prepared and on time. Missing class will negatively affect your grade. [ Assessments ] Value Deliverable Description

200 Preparation, Participation, and Collaboration

Do the reading. Engage with course materials and meetings thoughtfully and critically. Carry your weight on collaborative projects.

100 Methodological Map (9/16)

Using as heuristic the three research methodology SIs you’ve been assigned, compose a visual rendering of the current methodological state of our discipline (including objects of analyses; methods; methodologies; conclusions).

100 IRB Protocol (9/23) Prepare (and possibly submit) a research protocol for an 8-week pilot study, using OSU’s IRB guidelines. Obtain human subjects certification (complete CITI training).

400 Research Project & Write-Up (October & November, ongoing)

Conduct an 8-week pilot study (may be individual or collaborative). Prepare an informal weekly report of your progress, begin analysis, and draft a final deliverable, which may lead to a publishable manuscript.

100 Memoing (ongoing) Compose theoretical memos (per Miles, Huberman, Saldana) that reflect your research progress, etc. (you should have a minimum of

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10 of these for the whole semester).

100 Research Philosophy or Statement (12/12)

Draft a 500-word research philosophy or statement that situates your scholarly/methodological contribution within the field. Be able to identify current scholarly/research projects and articulate your scholarly/research trajectory.

[ Grade Scale ]

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE | FALL 2015

UNIT I. Asking Questions, Framing Answers

9/2 Problem-Finding, Kinky Empiricism, and Situatedness

• Workshop methodological maps • Workshop IRB Protocol • Discuss,

o Merton, T. (1959). Sociology today: Problems and prospects. Introduction. o Young, Becker & Pike. Chapter 5 in Rhetoric: Discovery and change. o Charney, D. (1996). Empiricism is not a four-letter word.” College Composition and

Communication 47, 567-593. o Rutherford, D. (2012). Kinky empiricism. Cultural Anthropology 27(3), 465-479. o Lykke, N. (2010). Feminist studies. Ch. 9, “Methodologies, Methods, and Ethics.” UNIT II. Attuning Methodically 9/9 The Logistics of Coding & Memoing

• Workshop methodological maps • Workshop IRB Protocol • Discuss qualitative data analysis software • Discuss Miles, Huberman, Saldaña Chs. 1-4; Oddo, J. (2013). Discourse-based

methods across texts and semiotic modes: Three tools for micro-rhetorical analysis.

930-1000: A 900-929: A- 870-899: B+ 830-869: B 800-829: B-

770-799: C+ 730-769: C 700-729: C- 670-699: D+ 600-669: D

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8/26 Introductions & Methodological State of the Field • Discuss hourglass approach to creating new knowledge • Teams, sites, researchable questions (discuss inductively vs. deductively derived data);

introduce IRB protocol • Introduce Methodology Special Issues, methodological maps assignment • Discuss,

o Miller, B. (2014). Mapping the methods of composition/rhetoric dissertations: A ‘landscape plotted and pieced.’ College Composition and Communication 66(1), 145-176.

o Rivers, N. (2014). Tracing the missing masses: Vibrancy, symmetry, and rhetoric pedagogy. Enculturation. http://enculturation.net/missingmasses

 

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Written communication 30(3), 236-275. 9/16 Attuning to Complexity

• Present methodological maps • Discuss,

o Clarke, A. E. (2003). Situational analyses: Grounded theory mapping after the postmodern turn. Symbolic interaction 26(4), 553-576).

o Farkas, K., & Haas, C. (2012). A grounded theory approach for studying writing and literacy. In K. Powell & P. Takayoshi (Eds.), Practicing research in writing studies: Reflexive and ethically responsible research (pp. 81–96). New York, NY: Hampton Press.

o Russell, D. R. (2010). Writing in multiple contexts: Vygotskian CHAT meets the phenomenology of genre. In C. Bazerman, R. Krut, K. Lunsford, S. McLeod, S. Null, P. Rogers, & A. Stansell (Eds.), Traditions of writing research (pp. 353–364). New York, NY: Routledge.

o Latour, B. (1992). Where are the missing masses? The sociology of a few mundane artefacts. In W. Bijker & J. Law (Eds.), Shaping technology—Building society (pp. 225–259). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

9/23 Attuning Visually & Aurally

• Submit IRB Protocol, Begin 8-week study (& draft a schedule) • Discuss,

o Bauer, M.W. (2000). Analysing noise and music as social data. (Ch. 15) In Bauer, M. W., & Gaskell, G. (Eds.). Qualitative researching with text, image and sound: A practical handbook for social research. Sage.

o Rose, D. (2000). Analysis of moving images. (Ch. 14). In Bauer, M. W., & Gaskell, G. (Eds.). (2000). Qualitative researching with text, image and sound: A practical handbook for social research. Sage.

o Rogers, R. (2013). Digital methods. MIT Press. Chapters 1, 5, 9 o Gries, L. (2013). Iconographic tracking: A digital research method for rhetoric and

circulation studies. Computers and composition 30, 332-348. 9/30 Attuning Digitally

• Discuss, o Potts, L., Seitzinger, J., Jones, D., & Harrison, A. (2011). Tweeting disaster:

Hashtag constructions and collisions. In C. J. Costa & C. Meghini (Eds.), SIGDOC ’11: Proceedings of the 29th annual international conference on design of communication (pp. 235–240). New York, NY: ACM.

o Spinuzzi, C., Hart-Davidson, W., & Zachry, M. (2006). Chains and ecologies: Methodological notes toward a communicative mediational model of technologically mediated writing. In R. Pierce & J. Stamey (Eds.), SIGDOC ’06: Proceedings of the 24th Annual International Conference on Design of Communication (pp. 43–50). New York, NY: ACM.

o Haas, C., Takayoshi, P., et al. (2011). Young people’s everyday literacies: The language features of instant messaging. Research in the teaching of English 45(4), 378-404.

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10/7 Attuning Statistically • Discuss,

o Dave, A. M. & Russell, D.R. (2010). Drafting and revision using word processing by undergraduate student writers: Changing conceptions and practices. Research in the teaching of English 44(4), 406-434.

o Haswell, R.H. (2000). Documenting improvement in college writing: A longitudinal approach. Written communication 17(3), 307-352.

o Charney, D.H. & Carlson, R.A. (1995). Learning to write in a genre: What student writers take from model texts. Research in the teaching of english 29(1), 88-125.

o Campbell, D.T. & Stanley, J.C. (1963). Excerpts from Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research.

10/14 Interlude: Methodological Models in Rhetoric & Writing

• Discuss Nickoson & Sheridan (2012) selections UNIT III. Analytic Frameworks & Theory-Building

UNIT IV. Conclusions & Critiques

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10/21 The Logistics of Describing, Ordering, Explaining • Discuss Miles, Huberman, Saldaña Chs. 7, 9, 11, 12

10/28 Analyzing Rhetorically

• Toulmin; Stasis; TBD • Workshop methods section

11/4 Analyzing Materially

• Discuss Braidotti; Barad; Mol (selections TBD) • Workshop methods section • (+ individual conferences during the week)

11/18 Analyzing _______________ (TBD)

• Relevant Readings TBD • Workshop methods section

(+ (+ individual conferences during the week)  

12/2 The Logistics of Composing Conclusions • Workshop Research Statements • Discuss peer review examples • Discuss,

o Smagorinsky, P. (2008). The method section as conceptual epicenter in constructing social science reports. Written Communication 25, 389-411.

o Helmreich (2009). Alien ocean. (selections about “athwart methods”)

12/9 Considering Critiques

• Discuss Tavory & Timmermans (2014) • Workshop Research Statements