This week has been more productive than last week; I have managed to get a lot done already (and it's only Wednesday!). I am still trucking along with the literature review (word count now exceeds the research paper limit, by the way) and I have added in the necessary extra sections my supervisor wanted me to include. I have also finished summarising the raw data from the survey conducted by the council. The results were interesting to say the least. One such question asked about the effects of climate change, with a considerable percentage of people surveyed saying that they don't believe that global climate change exists!!! Thankfully the majority of people acknowledge it as a problem in our society. Interesting to say the least...
I have also tried to get in contact with the Aboriginal elders my supervisor wants me to interview. She warned me they might be hard to track down as they often have a different perception of time; she even suggested that sometimes you just have to 'rock up' and try your luck with who's there! I don't know if I'm keen to sit in a car for four hours for the chance I might interview someone... Emailing and liaising will suffice for now!
I have knocked off more hours as well, which is good. I'm now down to the '75 hours to go' mark. I aim to have all my hours down hopefully in the next three to four weeks, to coincide with the end of semester. One thing is for sure, I don't want to carry the hours over to an August graduation. Until I hear back from the Wiradjuri men, at least I can utilise my 'free' time to work on the research paper.
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Thursday, 13 September 2012
The literature review that never ends
I'm a little overwhelmed this week; my supervisor has given me so many more additional jobs to complete and trying to do all of this, finish research paper assessments, work two separate casual jobs for actual money, and maintain a semblance of a social life is becoming increasingly difficult! I figure I can rant on here as pretty much everyone in the Art Admin program is in the same boat on this one!
I am STILL working on the literature review for the museum plan. When I think it's done I get another email which says to add in another section on something else and so on. It's rapidly approaching the 10,000 word mark! In addition, I have to go and sit in on interviews my supervisor is conducting for another project out at Windsor Library week after next, as I then have to return to the country to conduct a couple of interviews with some Aboriginal people from the Wiradjuri tribe. Not too sure when yet, but it'll be sometime in the next month. It's great that I'm being given the independence and responsibility to do this on my own; however I'm starting to get a little stressed with only 4 weeks until the draft of our paper is due in. At least I'm well and truly passed the half way mark with hours. 240 is A LOT and thankfully I only have about 100 remaining.
It's a good thing I booked myself on a holiday for two weeks in November, I think I'm going to need the time off!
I am STILL working on the literature review for the museum plan. When I think it's done I get another email which says to add in another section on something else and so on. It's rapidly approaching the 10,000 word mark! In addition, I have to go and sit in on interviews my supervisor is conducting for another project out at Windsor Library week after next, as I then have to return to the country to conduct a couple of interviews with some Aboriginal people from the Wiradjuri tribe. Not too sure when yet, but it'll be sometime in the next month. It's great that I'm being given the independence and responsibility to do this on my own; however I'm starting to get a little stressed with only 4 weeks until the draft of our paper is due in. At least I'm well and truly passed the half way mark with hours. 240 is A LOT and thankfully I only have about 100 remaining.
It's a good thing I booked myself on a holiday for two weeks in November, I think I'm going to need the time off!
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Ten weeks of interning completed... many more to go!
I can't believe it has been ten weeks already since I started working with my supervisor on this project. It doesn't feel like that long at all!
I met with my supervisor again this morning to go over what I have already done and what is left to do. She explained it like we're working in a pyramid format, building and collating information and research to build our case, which will eventually be presented to government and other funding bodies. It's quite exciting to know that the work I'm doing will become the foundation for the museum. It is a lot of work though; I tend to think that I am going to need much stronger reading glasses at the end of this internship as I spend most of my time staring at my computer screen or reading piles of documents! As I am framing my research paper around aspects of my internship, I am saving myself a lot of time researching an unfamiliar topic. Two birds, one stone... it's working out alright for the time being at least!
Next thing I have to do is add to the massive literature review I have been working on for the past two months (!) - I need to add in extra sections that mention certain funding and government bodies, such as the Federal Government, the State Government, Arts NSW and M&G NSW. The way this was explained to me is basically when the museum plan is presented for funding purposes to these people, it helps to 'stroke the ego' of their organisations by mentioning them by name within the body of the plan. It makes sense and I guess will help in the case for building a new museum in the regional area we are working with.
I am more than happy to continue working on it, as I am learning so much and acquiring a lot of knowledge about this side of the museum sector, but part of me seriously thought I had bid adieu to the 7,000+ word lit review; with everything I have to add in, it will probably grow to be longer than my research paper!
We also have the final data from the survey, which was distributed online and amongst the community - around 550 people completed it, so there will be (hopefully) a wide spread of demographics and responses to the questions. Another job I have is to summarise the answers to the survey questions, which will then be compiled with the focus group responses to form one large sample to put forward in the museum plan.
At least with all of these jobs I will have no problem accruing hours for the course - 100 hours down, 140 to go and counting!
I met with my supervisor again this morning to go over what I have already done and what is left to do. She explained it like we're working in a pyramid format, building and collating information and research to build our case, which will eventually be presented to government and other funding bodies. It's quite exciting to know that the work I'm doing will become the foundation for the museum. It is a lot of work though; I tend to think that I am going to need much stronger reading glasses at the end of this internship as I spend most of my time staring at my computer screen or reading piles of documents! As I am framing my research paper around aspects of my internship, I am saving myself a lot of time researching an unfamiliar topic. Two birds, one stone... it's working out alright for the time being at least!
Next thing I have to do is add to the massive literature review I have been working on for the past two months (!) - I need to add in extra sections that mention certain funding and government bodies, such as the Federal Government, the State Government, Arts NSW and M&G NSW. The way this was explained to me is basically when the museum plan is presented for funding purposes to these people, it helps to 'stroke the ego' of their organisations by mentioning them by name within the body of the plan. It makes sense and I guess will help in the case for building a new museum in the regional area we are working with.
I am more than happy to continue working on it, as I am learning so much and acquiring a lot of knowledge about this side of the museum sector, but part of me seriously thought I had bid adieu to the 7,000+ word lit review; with everything I have to add in, it will probably grow to be longer than my research paper!
We also have the final data from the survey, which was distributed online and amongst the community - around 550 people completed it, so there will be (hopefully) a wide spread of demographics and responses to the questions. Another job I have is to summarise the answers to the survey questions, which will then be compiled with the focus group responses to form one large sample to put forward in the museum plan.
At least with all of these jobs I will have no problem accruing hours for the course - 100 hours down, 140 to go and counting!
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Focus group data collation
I have started putting together the data from the focus groups (which were largely done before I started). It is kind of tricky because on some of the transcripts, some of the numerical data does not add up, i.e. with the number of participants matching the numbers given with age brackets. I can't exactly make up data so I think I will have to leave that part for the moment until I discuss it with my supervisor. It is frustrating not being able to just get on with it, but I guess I can use it as an opportunity to work on other aspects of the museum plan.
On another note, does anyone have any suggestions for how to make a good table? Would it be best to do one in Excel or just make it up in a Word Doc? I'm not the best when it comes to 'advanced' things such as mathematically based tables dealing with percentages and what not. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
On another note, does anyone have any suggestions for how to make a good table? Would it be best to do one in Excel or just make it up in a Word Doc? I'm not the best when it comes to 'advanced' things such as mathematically based tables dealing with percentages and what not. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Literature review - CHECK
At the end of last week, I (finally) finished the literature review I have been working on for the past five weeks or so. It has been a monumental task (over 7,000 words... yuck!), especially considering I am in the midst of now writing the literature review for my research paper... at least this one only has to be 2,000 words I guess!
It was a big job but I'm happy with the end result. I just have to wait for my supervisor to read/proof everything and then I can move on to my next job, which is collating, analysing and making up graphs and tables for all of the focus group info. The focus groups were largely done before I joined the team; however, I think it will be interesting to go through and read the responses - particularly the school kids... Some of their suggestions I have read so far include things like a UFO space station and a place where kids can dig up dinosaur bones... in the museum. Very cute!
I'm glad to have finished the first part and it's satisfying to know that I can write 'close' to 10,000 words, as I will be needing to do just that in the next six weeks!
It was a big job but I'm happy with the end result. I just have to wait for my supervisor to read/proof everything and then I can move on to my next job, which is collating, analysing and making up graphs and tables for all of the focus group info. The focus groups were largely done before I joined the team; however, I think it will be interesting to go through and read the responses - particularly the school kids... Some of their suggestions I have read so far include things like a UFO space station and a place where kids can dig up dinosaur bones... in the museum. Very cute!
I'm glad to have finished the first part and it's satisfying to know that I can write 'close' to 10,000 words, as I will be needing to do just that in the next six weeks!
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Considering Indigenous communities
I am currently writing up the last sections (almost there!) of the literature review, which is an essential component of the museum plan structure. I am partway through researching the heritage of the region, for which I have to also incorporate the Indigenous heritage as well. Reading about it is particularly interesting, as I previously didn't have much knowledge of it. The Wiradjuri people, the largest indigenous nation in NSW, had the most unique customs, including the carving of trees to mark burial sites. As settlement occurred in the mid 19th century, it should be no surprise that many of these trees were destroyed to make way for urban centres, forestry and general destruction of the landscape. Less than 100 of these trees still exist in their original sites, with the carvings facing the burial site to warn passersby that the site holds spiritual significance.
I found this to be particularly interesting, which surprised me to be perfectly honest, as indigenous art forms, etc has never had an immediate impact on me. I am really enjoying researching this and then recognising the juxtaposition of reporting on indigenous heritage, immediately followed in my review by settlement heritage, which focusses a lot on the Gold Rush of the 1850s. I guess the destruction of one culture has often meant, historically speaking, the thriving and survival of another.
Considering all of this, and I guess many modern and contemporary art institutions, it is a good thing that the traditional Aboriginal landowners are taken into consideration in this museum plan, as they rightly should be. Museums are, after all, a place where we can learn from history.
I found this to be particularly interesting, which surprised me to be perfectly honest, as indigenous art forms, etc has never had an immediate impact on me. I am really enjoying researching this and then recognising the juxtaposition of reporting on indigenous heritage, immediately followed in my review by settlement heritage, which focusses a lot on the Gold Rush of the 1850s. I guess the destruction of one culture has often meant, historically speaking, the thriving and survival of another.
Considering all of this, and I guess many modern and contemporary art institutions, it is a good thing that the traditional Aboriginal landowners are taken into consideration in this museum plan, as they rightly should be. Museums are, after all, a place where we can learn from history.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Community consultation
Today I got home from the country; it was a long trip, but produced some good results that will definitely help in these early research stages of the museum plan. Plus, I got to visit my grandparents, which was an added bonus!
I facilitated a relatively small focus group of seven local women between the ages of 65 and 80 (roughly), including my grandmother who has lived in this particular regional community for 50 years. I decided to keep it relatively informal, to allow for questions and a nice open discussion. They were all very willing participants who gave some really great insight and offered up their interesting suggestions for what they would like to see in a regional museum. Not surprisingly, a good cafe was a bottom line for many of them! I was quite surprised, actually to discover that for some of them they wouldn't consider visiting unless the museum offered such amenities. These are all things I will put in my report to give to my supervisor.
I also gave the ladies a brief overview of the project so far and also outlined that the museum plan I am currently working on with my supervisor will be available in draft format (when it's done, of course) for community comment and discussion. This fact seemed to ease them a little bit and I guess make them slightly more relaxed with their answers.
This was a really great experience to have and I am grateful to my grandmother for getting some of her friends together to participate. It was really fantastic to lead the discussion and I think will help me in the future if and when I need to do something like this again.
I facilitated a relatively small focus group of seven local women between the ages of 65 and 80 (roughly), including my grandmother who has lived in this particular regional community for 50 years. I decided to keep it relatively informal, to allow for questions and a nice open discussion. They were all very willing participants who gave some really great insight and offered up their interesting suggestions for what they would like to see in a regional museum. Not surprisingly, a good cafe was a bottom line for many of them! I was quite surprised, actually to discover that for some of them they wouldn't consider visiting unless the museum offered such amenities. These are all things I will put in my report to give to my supervisor.
I also gave the ladies a brief overview of the project so far and also outlined that the museum plan I am currently working on with my supervisor will be available in draft format (when it's done, of course) for community comment and discussion. This fact seemed to ease them a little bit and I guess make them slightly more relaxed with their answers.
This was a really great experience to have and I am grateful to my grandmother for getting some of her friends together to participate. It was really fantastic to lead the discussion and I think will help me in the future if and when I need to do something like this again.
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