Research Method Paper

Due Date: April 6

Throughout the semester, we've been reading the work of scholars who study platforms and formats, and we have been playing close attention to their research methods. Do they study certain kinds of documents? Do they study circuit boards or software? What methods do they use to approach these materials? Do they close read snippets of code, or do they conduct historical analysis of technologies?

In this 750-word research method paper, you will describe your own research method for your Platform/Format project. Your method might be nearly identical to one of the scholars we have read this semester, or it might be an amalgamation of these methods. In this paper, you should describe that method and why it will help you to study the object you've chosen.

When providing feedback on these proposals, I will be looking for the following:

• Does your paper demonstrate that you understand the methods of the scholars we've read?
• Have you carefully described your research method?
• Have you justified your research method, explaining why it is the best fit for the evidence that you've found during the research project?
• Have you described the materials you will analyze and how you plan to approach them?
  Is the document effectively designed? Can I easily follow your arguments? The design of the document is up to you (subheadings, diagrams, etc.), but that design should demonstrate that you've designed it with a purpose.
• Is your proposal generally well-written and free of grammatical errors?