MADAHCoreModules

Core Module Details

DH6032 Communities of Practice in Digital Scholarship

This module looks at collaboration and communities of practice which are such an important feature of digital culture. Students will use social media, blogs, discussion forums to review, summarise and discuss readings.

DH6033 Conceptual Introduction to Digital Humanities

This course engages with core concepts in Digital Arts and Humanities. Here students will build an understanding of these topics through discussion online and in class. In this portfolio, students will demonstrate an ability to engage with central conceptual debates in the field.

DH6034 Humanities and New Technologies: Tools and Methodologies

In this module we will do two very specific, but multifaceted, things:

1. Introduce a variety of types of tools and methodologies to hopefully inspire, but also more importantly to;
2. Provoke thoughtful reflection on the implications of choosing a tool, what it affords, but equally what the possible implications and challenges it also may introduce.

DH6003 The MA DAH Institute

This event draws together the years work in the taught elements, and marks a significant stage in moving the dissertation toward completion. The key activities involve a presentation and poster from each student as well as participation in organising the day long event.

The presentation will outline:

1. The existing literature and conceptual framework on the topic;
2. The key questions to be investigated, and how they will contribute to the topic;
3. The planned research methods;
4. The concept for the digital artefact;
5. The timeline to completion;
6. Anticipated outcomes.

DH 6035 Digital Arts and Humanities Dissertation

The capstone achievement for the MA in Digital Arts and Humanities is the successful completion of a digital research project that combines a unique and crafted digital artefact and a written dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words.

Throughout the course you will complete various components of this larger project including an annotated bibliography and a map of the topic in DH6013, a research project proposal in DH6033, a preliminary review of literature in DH6032 and a statement of proposed methodology in DH6034. By the completion of the second semester you will have refined your project proposal, identified whether an ethics review is necessary to undertake as part of your project and be in a position to present a progress review in April.

You will be assigned a supervisor to assist you with your project during the second semester. Your supervisor is your primary point of contact to help you successfully carry out this project. However, it is your project and it your responsibility to make best use of the supervisory resource. Your supervisor can help you shape your research question, consider the approaches you propose to take and collaboratively reflect on your process and findings. Your supervisor will also be available to feedback on your written work in a timely fashion. *Drafts of dissertation components can be submitted for feedback up to the 1st of August to enable an opportunity to provide thoughtful feedback*.

It is important to appreciate that this is a research project and dissertation in Digital Arts and Humanities and as such it requires a specific exploration of the digital aspects of your chosen field. It is essential to demonstrate your learning during programme, but to more particularly demonstrate a critical reflection on field of study. It is important to consider why you are carrying out this research, what it brings to field and why you have chosen a specific approach to your research.

The digital artefact you craft is at the core of your research project in that it provides an object of discussion and a reflection of the Digital Arts and Humanities question being explored. It must demonstrate a degree of technical challenge and represent something that moves beyond what you may have been able to accomplish prior to the programme. Although you are not evaluated directly on the artefact itself, and it is not evaluated directly, it is intrinsic to the discourse of the written work - the literature review providing a context, the tools and methods discussing the technical and epistemological underpinnings/technology decisions and the discussion surrounding the findings and engaging directly with the artefact. The artefact reflects the findings of your research and the dissertation reflects on the artefact itself. The two are closely bound.

MA Dissertations are submitted to UCC”s Cork Open Research Archive (CORA) to support the department’s commitment to the open collection and dissemination of the digital research output of the UCC scholarly community.

Full MA Dissertation Project Instructions are available.