Archive for May, 2010

Last semester we were 'mapping the research landscape of the entertainment', and in this post I explore the set up and what lessons I can apply to my summer research project, as this year we are part of the Hot House. A series of projects working with various industry partners to explore a variety of subject matters, but more on that in another post. This is about reflecting, not talking about the future. So lessons did I learn? It is now we, not me. Learn to balance your energy output: When research is shared, challenged, taken apart and reworked as a group, it allows you to take a step back and review it on a new level. This process allows for the research to transform, indeed the final outcome will be produced to a higher level of work. In this setup of research stages, do not exhaust yourself in the first stage, because it will reduce the quality of group work and this is where the magic happens. There is no ‘I’ in Ethnography: Any individual can create a body of work, yet the quality produced is increased with the choice of good materials and instruments. In the case of ethnography, instruments take the form of your mind and body, your fellow researchers, your clients and participants. They must be attended to and maintained, in the form of relationships, communication and interaction. We must support others but also lean on them in our time of need, which will inevitably happen. You will never know enough, but that’s okay: The trick is not to master every skill in the book but to surround yourself with the right people. If you can decide what skill base will be needed for the project, then you are in a position to strategically choose who to work with, or ask advice to, this is how you will succeed.

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