AFAM83 (FA2021) Mid-term Project: Data Essays For your mid-term project, you wil

AFAM83 (FA2021) Mid-term Project: Data Essays
For your mid-term project, you will each create a data essay, accompanied by a research statement.
Part 1: Data Essay
A data essay asks you to select, critique, analysis and then represent a dataset of your choosing. In addition to giving you practice with the skills of organizing, refining, and visualizing data, this project asks you to find ways to frame a series of representations in ways that connect with our course readings and conversations drawing from African American studies.
We will cover each of the steps and skills required for this project in class together. Once you choose a dataset (of your own choice or from our list of suggestions) you will analyze the data to generate at least seven different visualizations. How does the data engage with our course topics and readings?
Then, you should arrange those visualizations into a larger, framing narrative. The narrative should frame your analyses in explicit connection with our course readings and conversations. The seven visualizations might include maps, graphs, or other forms of digital representation. You are encouraged to be creative and experiment with new methods and skills.
Note on the technical part: The assignment is not designed to test whether you can become an expert right away as the creator of digital representations and visualizations. The main goal is to see how well you can engage with data using the lessons offered by our course readings about power, the past, race, Black studies, data critiques, classification, and the expansiveness of Black life and culture. This project will benefit from reviewing your notes from class. You will need to review some of the readings to find concepts that can help explain the information contained in your chosen dataset. I do not expect it to make sense at first. A data essay is just like a conventional essay. You will likely need to go through several drafts of your visualizations and framing narrative to develop a nuanced
The only firm requirement is that the projects should be compelling and effective. In other words: the seven views should be presented within a narrative that leaves the reader convinced that you have offered an accurate, insightful, and valid set of views.
The tone of the projects is up to your choice. Data essays might sound like an academic essay or a long-form piece of journalism, but you might also experiment with other ways of framing and explaining. What are the approaches to presenting data on the web that you have seen elsewhere? It might be helpful to think about the audience. How might you approach the tone and voice of this project for sharing your work on Instagram or TikTok?
You can create your data essays using any medium. Past students have created web pages, storymaps, Twitter threads, or Instagram stories. Some students prefer to create paper projects and made zines. The medium is your choice, but make sure that the medium does not limit your ability to produce a substantive and meaningful project.
Part 2: Research Statement
Along with your data essay, I will ask you to prepare a companion research statement. The research statement should follow the conventions of college-level writing and should be at least 2-3 pages (~600-900 words) in double-spaced, 12pt font. In the statement, please justify your choice of the seven different views or visualizations. Did you need to refine or reorganize the data? What choices did you have to make? How does the overall organization of the seven views contribute to the overall meaning of your data essay?
The research statement should also describe the process of your research and analysis. Please make sure to answer these questions:
1. How has the data essay drawn from course readings?
2. How does the data essay engage with the main questions of our course?
These questions include (but are not limited to) such debates as:
1. How does the lessons of African American studies change how we look at a dataset?
2. What is data?
3. What is the role of the past and history?
4. How does the dataset classify people’s identities and cultures?
5. How can we find more multivocal or alternative perspectives?
6. What is missing or cannot be represented in a given dataset?
Rubric for data essays
1. Offers at least seven ways of looking at a dataset (y/n)
2. Offers an overall structure that links the views together (y/n)
3. Is it compelling, complete, and as interesting as the topic & data allow?
4. Is it effective, valid, and readable?
5. Research statement justifies the choices of the seven perspectives.
6. Research statement explains how the data essay draws from the course readings.
7. Research statement explains how the data essay engages with the main questions at the center of this course in Black Studies, data, classification, and history.
What makes a strong data essay?
Creativity!
This assignment values taking creative, risky approaches. What are the unusual, surprising, or unexpected ways that you might organize the seven views? An data essay might borrow some of the strategies of an academic essay or a piece of journalism. Let’s explore together. What other forms might help?
Working ahead!
The mid-term projects will be due on October 13, but I am happy to offer feedback on your work up to a week prior to that date (October 7). We will also have a brief, in-class workshop to help develop the craft and ideas for the projects.
How will the projects be graded?
The main point of evaluation is how well it all fits together. That is to say, how compelling and effective your work is.
compelling when it shows some combination of the following:
·it is as interesting as its topic and approach allows
·it is as complete as its topic and approach allows (it doesn’t leave the audience thinking that important points are being skipped over or ignored)
·it is truthful (any questions, evidence, conclusions, or arguments you raise are honestly and accurately presented)
effective when it shows some combination of these attributes:
·it is readable/watchable/listenable (i.e. the production values are appropriately high and the audience is not distracted by avoidable lapses in presentation)
·it is appropriate (i.e. it uses a format and medium that suits its topic and approach)
·it is attractive (i.e. it is presented in a way that leads the audience to trust the author and his or her arguments, examples, and conclusions).
Submitting the data essay
Given the flexibility of the form, you may choose to create the mid-term data essay in the medium where it is created. The research statements can be uploaded to the Canvas site. If you have questions, please contact me in advance.
Creat part one data can use this website：https://rawgraphs.io/ （must be seven different visualizations）
Part two： analyze data be at least 2-3 pages (~600-900 words) in double-spaced, 12pt font.
There have three picture for step，you can look
Part two only for 600-900 words ，I pay more page for part one data .
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Discipline: Themes in African American Digital Humanities