Undergraduate opportunities

From UANotebook

Research opportunities for undergraduates

We invite undergraduate students who have any variety of interests such as historical research, communication, architecture, urban planning, art, photography, web design or database programming. The tasks vary based on the interest of the student.

1. Gathering images of texts - A large part of this research involves fieldwork. The student will be required to document specific texts in a designated area of Seattle. These texts can take many forms: a graffiti wall, a bench, a bus stop, or any place that interests the student. After the documentation, the student will be asked to reflect on any significant patterns that they have observed.
2. Archiving of texts - This involves organizing and developing categories for artifacts of the city. The student will digitize and organize images into a database. The student will have to analyze images and come up with patterns that will allow the material to be catalogued.
3. Contextual background on existing texts - this involves investigative research using the library and other existing archives. For example, a student might decide to study a particular park. The student will then research the history of the park and look for any articles in the local newspapers that talk about the park. After gathering the data, the student will begin to see some patterns emerging in the communication surrounding the space.
4. Conversations about the text - This method can complement the one above. It involves understanding how people talk about a particular text in the city. For example, if a student is trying to understand how people talk about a particular space, their research would involve conducting interviews with community members, observing the park's use and looking at any media coverage of any issues concerning the park.

Expectations

Students can earn up to 5 credits of independent study. If several students are interested in similar tasks, they can work in a team. In the first three weeks of the quarter the students will be required to complete a number of readings that relate to the project. The following four weeks will involve research or fieldwork, depending on the student's focus. The final weeks of the quarter will be taken up by student's analysis of the data and a reflective paper about the texts that the student worked with.

We work with the students to provide guidance and direction; however, this work requires a lot of independence and an ability to keep up with assignments without a lot of nagging. We will treat the students as research partners and collaborators. The research and the student's analysis will be added to the archive database and will become part of a larger collective body of work on public spaces.

Examples of previous students' works can be seen on the Projects page
Winter Syllabus 498/499 Syllabus.doc