ATS2625 Research Report Assignment: Field Data Collection & Analysis Word limit: 1,000 words Weighting/Value: 30%
ATS2625 Research Report Assignment: Field Data Collection & Analysis Word limit: 1,000 words Weighting/Value: 30%
Write a 1000-word response answering the broad question: What does it mean for migrants to belong in Australia?
The task involves the collection of real-world data about the experiences and sense of belonging of migrants through the processes of migration. Use the evidence you collect to explore the answer to this question. You must analyse and present the data you gather with reference to some of the ideas, concepts or theories we have learnt about in this unit or from further research (and they must be referenced) and to support any analysis or point-of-view that you present.
You have a choice of possible data collection options.
INTERVIEW: You could interview family member(s) or friend(s) about their immigration experience: why and how they migrated; travel; cultural difference; sense of belonging and identity transformation. If you select this option you will need to provide a Consent Form filled out by interview informants.
DOCUMENTATION OF MATERIAL CULTURE: You could photograph and discuss the significance of a collection of material objects associated with a migrant experience or citizenship (e.g. suitcase, tickets, objects carried from homeland, diaries, letters or postcards) and may also involve discussing objects with informants. In this case you will need to provide a Consent Form (as above).
VISIT IMMIGRATION MUSEUM: Visit the Exhibition Identity: yours, mine, ours either in person or online. You will collect evidence of migrant experiences from the Museum Exhibition. The Immigration Museum is located: 400 Flinders St, Melbourne. Opening Hours: Daily from 10 to 5pm. Entry is free with Student Card or student travel concession card. Exhibition is on the top floor.
All options would benefit from checking out the on-line Exhibition:
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/whats-on/identity-yours-mine-ours/& Immigration Museum website: HYPERLINK "https://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/whats-on" https://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/whats-on/We will workshop how to do this and write up your analysis in tutorials. Please see Tutorial activities document below and more on how to formulate your assignment depending on the option you choose.
If you conduct an interview, please ensure you collect the signed Consent Form from your interviewee and include as part of your Report. You may either scan the form and include it as an Appendix in the Report or upload as a separate file when you submit. A sample Explanatory Statement and Consent Form is available in the Assessment section of Moodle.
Your paper will be marked in accordance with the criteria described in the Rubric below.
PRESENTATION & SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
If you conduct an interview, please ensure you include a signed Consent Form with your assignment: either scanned and copied in as an appendix or uploaded as a separate file.
Word limit: 10% under or over the prescribed word limit is allowable but more than this will be penalised. Headings, notes and bibliography are not included in the word count. (Highlight text to be counted {minus notes and bibliography} > go to Review > Word Count)
Referencing:
You are required to use the in-text Harvard Referencing Style (Author, Year: Page) including a full alphabetically organised bibliography at the end. See https://guides.lib.monash.edu/citing-referencing/harvard2020-intro
Presentation requirements:
Only text files accepted (.doc; .docx) no PDFs
Use 12pt Times New Roman for your text and 1.5 paragraph spacing (this is much easier to read and mark immediately earning you goodwill from your marker!).
Include page numbers on every page.
Use British English spelling.
At top of Page 1 of your Assignment list: Student Name, Unit Name or code and Assignment Title (as above) making it clear what option you have selected
Run and add your word count to top of Page 1.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBMITTED ON-TIME: Check the 'Submission' box to make sure your submission has been successful and screenshot it for backup.
Final Checklist
Have you presented your analysis is a logical or coherent order?
Have you included appropriate research? At least 5 sources from the social sciences.
Check headings and structure. Suggested structure: a) introduction- (brief explanation of study; theory, and structure of report); b) context/background to study; c) discussion of evidence); d) conclusion.
Have you formatted according to instructions: Assignment details included? Word.doc file; TNR 12 pt Font;1.5 spaced, page no.s and word count.
Is your referencing and alphabetical bibliography in the correct style?
Marking Criteria Rubric
CRITERIA COHERENT ANALYSIS of data (20) APPROPRATE concepts & theories applied in analysis & evidence (20) CLEAR description of independently collected evidence/data (20) PRECISION & CLARITY of expression (15) CLEAR Structure & Presentation: required assignt details, style, structure (15) QUALITY References, Citations, Bibliography (10)
F <50% No apparent analysis provided or incoherent, unevenly, unclearly or weakly presented. Fails to use, identify or relate any relevant key concepts or theories; misrepresents concepts/theories or applies them inappropriately. No presentation or description of independently collected data or case study evidence Uses mainly lay/informal/ inaccurate language and requires further proofreading; English expression mostly difficult to understand No assignment details; style inaccurate; introduction and conclusion inadequate or missing; overall report structure unclear. Inappropriate or no references provided. Lack of citations. Plagiarism present or due to poor referencing or bibliography missing.
1-10 1-10 1-10 17 17 14
P
50 59% Analysis evident but not clearly or coherently presented evenly throughout report (in Intro, Discussion & Conclusion) Identifies one or more relevant key concepts or theories but does not explain fully and/or accurately nor applies clearly to response or argument and/or to evidence described. Very little appropriate independently collected data or case study evidence presented or described in any form. Uses mainly lay/informal/ inaccurate language or requires proofreading; English expression often difficult to understand Some assignment details missing; style inaccurate; weak or absent intro or conclusion. Report structure unclear. Some references and bibliography present but inappropriate, incomplete or missing. Citation skills poor.
1112 1112 1112 8 8 5
C 60 69% Clear analysis apparent throughout report (Intro, Discussion & Conclusion) Identifies and explains accurately one or more relevant key concepts or theories but does not apply clearly to data or evidence described. Appropriate independently collected data/evidence presented or described in some form. Uses some accurate, precise language appropriate to topic with mixed results. English expression is average. Assignment details and style correct. Overall report structure including intro and conclusion clearly present. Appropriate references present, alpha ordered bibliography and citations present but some inaccuracy found.
13-14 13-14 13-14 910 910 6
D 70 79% Clear and coherent analysis throughout report with evidence of independent critical thinking. Successfully and explains accurately one or more relevant key concepts and applies to data or evidence described. Appropriate independently collected data/evidence clearly presented/described in report form (Intro, Discussion & Conclusion). Uses accurate, precise language appropriate to topic and English expression is good throughout report All details and style correct. Overall report structure clearly present and well signposted. Introduction and conclusion both coherently presented and linked. Appropriate and accurate references and citations present supported by accurate and alpha ordered bibliography.
1516 1516 1516 11 11 7
HD2 80 - 89% Insightful analysis and independent critical thinking demonstrated throughout report Successfully identifies and applies one or more appropriate concepts/ theories to data or evidence. Presents in an integrated or thematic way throughout report (Intro, Discussion & Conclusion) Appropriate independently collected data/evidence clearly and evenly presented/described throughout report (Intro, Discussion & Conclusion). Uses sophisticated language and accurate, precise terminology and English expression is excellent throughout report All details and style correct. Overall report structure clearly present and well signposted and reflected coherently in both intro & conclusion. Conclusion recaps the main points well. Appropriate and accurate references present supported by accurate and alpha ordered bibliography Citations well-presented and used to support analysis.
1718 1718 1718 1213 1213 8-9
HD1 90%+ Insightful analysis and impressive or innovative independent critical thinking demonstrated throughout report. Excellent and eloquent critical engagement and application of most appropriate concepts/theories to data or evidence. Presents in an integrated or thematic way throughout report (Intro, Discussion & Conclusion) Appropriate independently collected data/evidence skillfully presented and described throughout report. Uses eloquent language of a publishable standard throughout report Style and structure of a publishable standard. Citations have been selected and presented artfully. All referencing guidelines followed perfectly.
19-20 19-20 19-20 1415 1415 10
GRADE______/100 - - - - -
Data Collection Assessment Task Tutorial
You will need to have decided what option you are choosing in this tutorial so please be prepared.
Tutorial Activity 1. In your groups discuss which option you will be choosing. (5 mins)
For this task you have a choice of possible data collection options listed above. Discuss what you have chosen and why.
Tutorial Activity 2. Assemble into groups of 3-4 according to selection and undertake the following activities depending on option chosen:
OPTION 1: Interview Conducting a semi-structured interview.
Preparing and conducting successful qualitative interviews involves the following elements:
designing a clear theme/interview guide whereby a number of questions may be grouped around identified themes or domains (these questions are not meant to limit or fully direct the interview session. It is desirable to also encourage new themes/issues to be explored as they may be introduced by the interviewee. Questions that are found to be ineffective or unproductive during the fieldwork process should be dropped;building and maintaining rapport with the interviewee as to enable an environment in which rich and free-flowing information can be collected;asking prompting and probing questions;asking sufficiently open-ended questions that encourage qualitative responses (rather than closed questions that encourage one-word answers
listening to the responses in a manner that enables effective follow-up questioning and investigation;managing potential disruptions and challenges to the interview process; and
managing any technical equipment and logistical challenges (such as making sure your tape or phone is fully charged or being aware that the air-conditioning system in the room where the interview is taking place is very noisy and distracting and may jeopardise clear taping of the session). These issues are all covered in the readings listed above.
Now individually work out some questions & discuss with your group: Compare questions. What sort of questions are they? See list below (15 minutes)
In your group make a list of some of the principles/ considerations you think are important to do an ethical interview. (10 minutes)
All researchers who undertake human research must abide by ethical standards. Now have a look at the Explanatory Statement and Consent Form on Moodle. You are required to use these for your interviews and hand in the consent form with your report. Any questions? Please ensure you use a version of the Explanatory Statement and Consent Form in Moodle with your informants.
-231037-325Types of questions in qualitative interviews
In the case of all qualitative interviewing, the styles and types of questions used are an essential prerequisite to obtaining good data. For those seeking to improve their interviewing skills, Patton (2002) provides a comprehensive and fascinating overview of possible styles. Outlined below is a selection of those Patton describes:
Experience and Behaviour Questions
These are questions about what a person does or has done and they aim to provide an understanding of experiences, actions and activities that would be observable had the researcher been present. For example, an interviewer may ask: Can you run me through a typical day in your work place? What would I see you doing if I observed you through a typical day?Opinion and Values Questions
These are questions that are about ideas and beliefs as opposed to actions and behaviours. Answers to these questions tell us what people think about certain things, about their goals, intentions, aspirations, desires and expectations. A typical question might be: What is your opinion of
? Or: What do you think about ?
Feeling Questions
These questions aim at eliciting emotions. In asking how the informant feels about something the interviewer is aiming to produce answers expressed as adjectives, or in adjectival form, eg. [Im]
anxious, happy, sad, frightened, intimidated, confident, uncomfortable about going in there, [I] hate being around smokers etc.
(Feeling questions should not be confused with opinion questions. For example, if the question
what do you feel about that? produces the response its probably the best we can do at the moment you have ended up with a statement of opinion. Such an answer fails to reveal the feelings/emotions of the informant and to do so may require a more refined or revised question to be asked. In general, if you want answers that denote emotions you must ask such questions as: how do you feel about that? If on the other hand you want answers that express an opinion you should ask: what do you think about that?).
Knowledge Questions
These are questions which seek to elicit factual information what the respondent knows. In this case the question may ask something directly and even baldly, eg.: what is the legal age for alcohol consumption in Queensland? Such questions can be insightful in revealing a persons level or ignorance, knowledge or even self-delusion, but they can also sound like test. This may put the respondent on the defensive and they may give an answer that is not what they actually think or know. Alternatively it may intimidate them into silence. Even in the best circumstances, knowledge questions often also require further questioning to explore the detail and context of how such information is gained and applied in everyday life.
Background/Demographic Questions
Age, occupation, ethnicity etc are all important characteristics that help the researcher identify the person being interviewed. While such information is often gathered in a closed fashion ie. in an accompanying postal survey or structured interview survey asking about such information in an open-ended qualitative way can often provide a window on how the informant views him/herself and how they categorise and experience such topics/issues. It may reveal how people perceive and talk about their backgrounds, their identities, etc.
While these question categories as laid out above are not comprehensive and other commentators may use different category headings, they do nevertheless provide a useful means for distinguishing and reflecting upon question construction in interview fieldwork.
Good quality questions and interviewer competence
It should be obvious from the preceding that the success of an interview in qualitative research depends largely upon the competence, tact and personal style of the interviewer. There are, of course, good and bad interviewees as well; whether or not you include a mix or selectively weed out only the good ones from the range available depends upon your study design. However, as the researcher, you have far more control over your own standard of interviewing competence. The following summarizes some things to avoid when conducting an interview.
Poor questioning styles
beg the question
dont listen to the response
cut across or contradict or dont allow the interviewee to put their point of view
Poor question styles
Leading questions these invite a particular response which the interviewee may unthinkingly give, whether or not it is true
Loaded questions these imply that there is only one appropriate answer and thus intimidate the interviewee into giving it, whether or not it is true
Overloaded questions these have too many questions or assumptions embedded in the one large question. They often arise when a nervous or insensitive interviewer asks too many things in the one speech event. This is liable to confuse the interviewee, who is suddenly confronted with too much implied information and too many possible directions of enquiry to respond to. At best they tend to respond to only the final question, leaving aside the others; at worst, they will provide a garbled response that is of no scientific use.
00Types of questions in qualitative interviews
In the case of all qualitative interviewing, the styles and types of questions used are an essential prerequisite to obtaining good data. For those seeking to improve their interviewing skills, Patton (2002) provides a comprehensive and fascinating overview of possible styles. Outlined below is a selection of those Patton describes:
Experience and Behaviour Questions
These are questions about what a person does or has done and they aim to provide an understanding of experiences, actions and activities that would be observable had the researcher been present. For example, an interviewer may ask: Can you run me through a typical day in your work place? What would I see you doing if I observed you through a typical day?Opinion and Values Questions
These are questions that are about ideas and beliefs as opposed to actions and behaviours. Answers to these questions tell us what people think about certain things, about their goals, intentions, aspirations, desires and expectations. A typical question might be: What is your opinion of
? Or: What do you think about ?
Feeling Questions
These questions aim at eliciting emotions. In asking how the informant feels about something the interviewer is aiming to produce answers expressed as adjectives, or in adjectival form, eg. [Im]
anxious, happy, sad, frightened, intimidated, confident, uncomfortable about going in there, [I] hate being around smokers etc.
(Feeling questions should not be confused with opinion questions. For example, if the question
what do you feel about that? produces the response its probably the best we can do at the moment you have ended up with a statement of opinion. Such an answer fails to reveal the feelings/emotions of the informant and to do so may require a more refined or revised question to be asked. In general, if you want answers that denote emotions you must ask such questions as: how do you feel about that? If on the other hand you want answers that express an opinion you should ask: what do you think about that?).
Knowledge Questions
These are questions which seek to elicit factual information what the respondent knows. In this case the question may ask something directly and even baldly, eg.: what is the legal age for alcohol consumption in Queensland? Such questions can be insightful in revealing a persons level or ignorance, knowledge or even self-delusion, but they can also sound like test. This may put the respondent on the defensive and they may give an answer that is not what they actually think or know. Alternatively it may intimidate them into silence. Even in the best circumstances, knowledge questions often also require further questioning to explore the detail and context of how such information is gained and applied in everyday life.
Background/Demographic Questions
Age, occupation, ethnicity etc are all important characteristics that help the researcher identify the person being interviewed. While such information is often gathered in a closed fashion ie. in an accompanying postal survey or structured interview survey asking about such information in an open-ended qualitative way can often provide a window on how the informant views him/herself and how they categorise and experience such topics/issues. It may reveal how people perceive and talk about their backgrounds, their identities, etc.
While these question categories as laid out above are not comprehensive and other commentators may use different category headings, they do nevertheless provide a useful means for distinguishing and reflecting upon question construction in interview fieldwork.
Good quality questions and interviewer competence
It should be obvious from the preceding that the success of an interview in qualitative research depends largely upon the competence, tact and personal style of the interviewer. There are, of course, good and bad interviewees as well; whether or not you include a mix or selectively weed out only the good ones from the range available depends upon your study design. However, as the researcher, you have far more control over your own standard of interviewing competence. The following summarizes some things to avoid when conducting an interview.
Poor questioning styles
beg the question
dont listen to the response
cut across or contradict or dont allow the interviewee to put their point of view
Poor question styles
Leading questions these invite a particular response which the interviewee may unthinkingly give, whether or not it is true
Loaded questions these imply that there is only one appropriate answer and thus intimidate the interviewee into giving it, whether or not it is true
Overloaded questions these have too many questions or assumptions embedded in the one large question. They often arise when a nervous or insensitive interviewer asks too many things in the one speech event. This is liable to confuse the interviewee, who is suddenly confronted with too much implied information and too many possible directions of enquiry to respond to. At best they tend to respond to only the final question, leaving aside the others; at worst, they will provide a garbled response that is of no scientific use.
OPTION 2: Material Objects
In this option you will use material objects as a way to stimulate story telling about migration and belonging. You may describe items that you locate or ask an informant to bring along or find in the museum exhibit and the stories attached to them to consider the issues of identity and belonging. If you ask an informant to bring along an object that has significance to them with regards to their migration experience, they might choose a photograph, old luggage or a memento from their previous country of residence. Using this as a starting point you can get them to describe the stories attached to that object and how that is linked to their identity and if their relationship to it has changed. For example a past student concentrated upon the meanings of the drink mate and the specific material objects associated with it among her Argentinian community members in Melbourne.
In the tutorial discuss the objects you are thinking of using: objects you have found or your ideas for locating them.
In the museum exhibit they do this very effectively. If you dont have objects in mind yet use one of the examples in the Immigration Museum Exhibition. You can go to the web page (above) and see the various examples there. You could also decide to focus on one thematic part of the exhibit and what it says about belonging and identity in Australia.
If you need to you can also use material from this Exhibition as jumping off points for discussion of how to incorporate material culture into your assignment http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibition/belongings/singh/index.htmlDiscuss why these objects are significant and why they were chosen. What do they say about belonging and identity as part of the migration experience?
You may find the following NYT article useful as an example of how to discuss and analyse material objects in relation to migration
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/11/arts/design/germany-mobile-worlds-mkg-museum.htmlIf you have time you could discuss the significance of some of the objects from this exhibition.
OPTION 3: Immigration Museum Exhibition
Review the question you need to answer for the assignment and peruse the Exhibition with this in mind. For the tutorial exercise please do this online if you have not already visited the Exhibition.
Select some stories, narratives, pictures and quotes (which will be the data that your collect) that make sense to you or which you find interesting with which to answer the questions. Perhaps reading the information made some of the ideas in the class readings come to mind? Note this down too.
Why is the data interesting to you? This could be your central theme. Now go back over the exhibition and collect more data that also relates to that theme, either has similarities or shows another aspect of that or along that theme. Remember to note what your data relates to (who said it or what was it in relation to) and what part of the exhibition did it come from. You will use this information to create a reference for your data.
If ideas from the class readings came to mind can you explain the data in those terms? Look back at the class reading and identify where the idea came from. Is it an idea, concept or theory of the author of the article or are they quoting from another text or theorist? You can use these ideas to discuss and make sense of your data. Note down where this came from and on what page you found it -you can build your in-text reference and bibliography from this.
Discuss the overriding themes of the Immigration Museum Exhibition Identity: yours, mine, ours (you must visit either in person or online). Go through it together on-line if together (web page above) if you havent visited already.
Discuss individual migrant experiences displayed in the Exhibition that interest you.
You could also decide to focus on one thematic part of the exhibit and discuss that.
Discuss what these elements of the Exhibition say about belonging and migrant identity in Australia?
STEP 3 (all options) Analyzing and incorporating a theoretical approach.
For your research report you will need to identify the main themes that have emerged from your data (from your interview, material object analysis or exhibit interaction). You need to comb through your data and identify reoccurring words, phrases, images and issues and make notes about them highlighting the main issues, themes or narrative. These maybe themes you have become aware of because of the study and discussion we have done in this unit. Illustrate these issues and themes with data: quotes and evidence from your research. Selecting a few direct quotes or other evidence to illustrate these themes will be useful and will add to the immediacy of your study.
Now align these themes with some of the major concepts we have already talked/read about in the unit. If ideas from the class readings came to mind can you explain the data in those terms? Look back at the class reading and identify where the idea came from. Is it an idea, concept or theory of the author of the article or are they quoting from another text or theorist? You can use these ideas to discuss and make sense of your data. You need to frame your case study or data with these concepts by writing about how it is related or exemplifies (or not) some of those concepts or ideas. Note down where this came from and on what page you found it -you can build your in-text reference and bibliography from this.
Tutorial Activity 3: In your groups make a list of some of the major concepts /theories which might be useful (5minutes)
For example, you could frame or introduce your findings with one or more of the ideas or theories mentioned in Castles, Sassen or Gardner or theories of race and barriers to inclusion in Hage, Niner or Lentin, or theories of home in Constable and Huttenen or you might use someone they have mentioned.
Suggestions:
Sassen and Hage talk about the belonging that citizenship creates and how 'foreigners' or refugees are excluded within the nation-state system and how regimes of citizenship have been used to do that. Think about how individuals talked about being included or excluded from society and their experiences of getting visas or residency or citizenship
Both Huttenen and Constableinvestigate in great depth how migrants respond to loss of old homes and creating new homes. Discuss creating a new or hybrid identity or how feelings of home or belonging dissolved or developed.
Van Hear and Voight Graf show how diasporas and transnational communities relate over borders and this may be relevant to different ways of belonging that individuals may express.
STEP 4: Presenting the case study
345440558800Title: Think of a title for your report: Case study of; A visit to ; A grandmothers story
Introduction: Explain what the purpose of this report is in a sentence or two. Give a brief introduction to the informant, objects or exhibit. A description of the ideology, concepts or theories you are using to make sense of your data and how it relates to your study should be included along with references (eg. Castles, Sassen or Gardner or those they mention).
Methods: Information about the collection of data: either the conduct of the interview(s) OR details of the material objects and how you located them OR details about the exhibition and your interaction with it
Findings, Analysis or Discussion: You need to highlight the main issues, points, themes or narratives that came up in your data. These maybe themes you have become aware of because of the study and discussion we have done in this unit. Set out these issues and themes in logical order and illustrate with data: quotes and evidence from your research. Further, show how this data and analysis relates to the chosen theoretical framework.
Conclusion: Recap what the report was about and how you have successfully shown how your main finding(s) have resulted from analyzing your data using your chosen theory. This should confirm what you said you were going to do in the introduction.
00Title: Think of a title for your report: Case study of; A visit to ; A grandmothers story
Introduction: Explain what the purpose of this report is in a sentence or two. Give a brief introduction to the informant, objects or exhibit. A description of the ideology, concepts or theories you are using to make sense of your data and how it relates to your study should be included along with references (eg. Castles, Sassen or Gardner or those they mention).
Methods: Information about the collection of data: either the conduct of the interview(s) OR details of the material objects and how you located them OR details about the exhibition and your interaction with it
Findings, Analysis or Discussion: You need to highlight the main issues, points, themes or narratives that came up in your data. These maybe themes you have become aware of because of the study and discussion we have done in this unit. Set out these issues and themes in logical order and illustrate with data: quotes and evidence from your research. Further, show how this data and analysis relates to the chosen theoretical framework.
Conclusion: Recap what the report was about and how you have successfully shown how your main finding(s) have resulted from analyzing your data using your chosen theory. This should confirm what you said you were going to do in the introduction.
Your case study can be organised as below which is a common format for presenting research reports and articles (or you may have a different way):
Tutorial Activity 4:
You can discuss options for structure and organization if you have time or in later tutorials.
