Researching Screen is a research methods module aiming to demonstrate both the fundamental principles of academic research design and the ideas and philosophies that underpin it as well as showcase certain philosophical, theoretical, methodological and analytical approaches that have been utilised in the study of screen media. The module is organised in 3 blocks.
The first block includes sessions that that are broadly about research design across the academic spectrum and delivered to all PGT students in the Department. It will include important introductory sessions and will be delivered by staff across the various research clusters in the department.
Block two and three are subject specific and focus exclusively on research approaches that have been informed by theories, philosophies and disciplinary traditions associated with the field of the arts, humanities and cultural studies. These include approaches that are centred on the study of the visual image as text (semiotics, narrative, style) on relevant contexts around industrial and cultural aspects of screen media (political economy to cultural approaches to industry research), on media specific models of analysis (games and television) and on audiences and fans.
Blocks two and three will be delivered by a number of colleagues in the Screen and Film Studies research cluster who will demonstrate research methods based on their own expertise.