Examination arrangement

Course content

The students will learn to conduct fieldwork, to register, systematise and enter the material into an archive. It will include testing out a variety of documentation techniques, including a selection of interview techniques, participatory observation, filming, sound recording, photographing and other. All through their work students will read and discuss in colloquia academic works connected to their different tasks. They will first be supervised through introductory exercises for the different techniques and tasks. Then they will carry out a real fieldwork project choosing techniques appropriate for each project. The students will work with exercises on searching in (digital) archives. They will then register and archive the material they documented in a real archive. They will also learn about the processes of digitisation and new developments within digital humanities. Finally, they will write a reflection on the whole process, applying literature on fieldwork and archival techniques and principles.

Learning outcome

Students who successfully complete this module will have acquired:

• A theoretical basis for conducting fieldwork and for registration and archiving
• A basic knowledge in a broad range of fieldwork techniques
• A basic practice in using technical equipment
• An elementary knowledge about different kinds of documentation media and how to store them
• A theoretical knowledge about digital humanities and digitisation
• An understanding for how to use and search in (digital) archives
• A practical grasp on principles for registering and archiving material collected from fieldwork.

Learning methods and activities

Teaching will be through a series of practical tasks in groups under supervision including smaller and larger tasks. Colloquia on compulsory reading, supervised writing. Minimum required participation/attendance in class for Choreomundus students: At least 70%.

Further on evaluation

The students will produce a portfolio where they select material from various different exercises they have performed for assessment. It can be field logs, photos, pieces from transcribed interviews, a set of archival registrations etc. The students will write a reflection about their fieldwork project, supporting methodologies chosen by referring to the compulsory reading.

Individual parts are not graded, only an overall grade is provided. For the course to be passed, all delivered parts of the portfolio must have a level that is equivalent to a passing grade. Resit of the exam requires all parts of the portfolio to be redone.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

Requires admission to Choreomundus or NO-MA-DS.