Version 1: Research Direction

In this stage, you and your partner will establish the starting direction for your research. Begin by selecting an artist or collective, then develop a focused research proposal, research questions, and two preliminary artwork or project selections.

Complete the steps below in order.

Step 1: Choose an artist or collective

Choose one artist or collective from the course list on Avenue to Learn. Each artist or collective may be selected by only one pair.

Before confirming your choice:

1. Look at several examples of the artist’s or collective’s work.
2. Read a short biography or artist statement from a reliable source.
3. Discuss what interests both partners about the practice.
4. Identify at least one area you may want to investigate.
5. Use the class sign-up process to confirm that your choice is available.

Do not choose based only on one artwork or a short biography. Look at enough of the practice to identify possible themes, methods, materials, technologies, or questions you could investigate.

Before moving on: Confirm that your pair has selected an available artist or collective and can identify at least one specific aspect of the practice you want to investigate.

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Step 2: Write the research proposal

Write a 250–300-word research proposal together.

Use the following questions to develop the proposal:

• Why did you select this artist or collective?
• What specific part of their practice will you examine?
• Which themes, methods, materials, technologies, or questions interest you?
• What do you hope to learn through this research?

Focus on a specific part of the artist’s practice. Do not try to cover their entire career.

Write in your own words. Use clear and specific language. Avoid broad claims that could apply to any artist. Support your proposed direction with details from the artist’s practice.

Before moving on: Check that your proposal is 250–300 words and establishes a specific research direction rather than only describing the artist or collective.

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Step 3: Develop the research questions

Use your proposal to develop:

• 1 main research question that identifies the central focus of the profile; and
• 1–2 supporting questions that investigate specific parts of the artist’s work.

Your questions may address:

• artistic methods, materials, or technologies;
• cultural, social, political, or historical context;
• representation or self-representation;
• positionality: how a person’s identity, experiences, social position, and relationship to a subject shape their perspective;
• audience, site, participation, or collaboration;
• care, consent, refusal, access, or accountability; or
• the relationship between form and meaning.

Use open-ended questions that require research, interpretation, and analysis.

Avoid questions that:

• can be answered with a fact;
• can be answered only with “yes” or “no”; or
• are so broad that they could apply to almost any artist.

Before moving on: You should have 1 main research question and 1–2 supporting questions that can be investigated through research and analysis of the artist’s work.

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Step 4: Select 2 preliminary artworks or projects

Select 2 artworks or projects that can help you investigate your research direction and questions.

For each work, include:

• title and year;
• medium or format;
• a link to a reliable source; and
• 2–3 sentences explaining how the work connects to your research direction.

Choose works that give you something specific to investigate. Consider the artist’s methods, materials, technologies, themes, context, audience experience, or other artistic decisions.

Your two selections do not need to demonstrate the same idea. Differences or tensions between the works may become useful as your research develops.

This selection is preliminary. You may change one or both works in Version 2 if your research develops in another direction or you cannot find enough reliable information or documentation about a work.

Before moving on: Confirm that you have 2 preliminary artworks or projects, reliable documentation for each, and a clear reason each work may help you investigate your research questions.

In Stage 1, you established your research direction, questions, and two preliminary artworks or projects. In this stage, find and assess eight core sources that can help you investigate those questions and artworks.

A source map is a table that records what each source provides and how you may use it in the project.

Complete the steps below in order.

Step 1: Find your 8 core sources

Your pair must identify 8 different core sources.

Continue using the division of research established for Version 1. Each partner is responsible for finding and assessing 4 sources:

Source type	Partner A	Partner B	Pair total
Course readings	1	1	2
Additional academic sources	1	1	2
Primary artist sources	1	1	2
Critical or contextual sources	1	1	2
Total	4	4	8

You may include up to 2 additional sources if they directly support your project.

Course readings

Select 2 different course readings from the Student-Led Critical Discussion reading list.

Choose readings that may provide a useful concept, question, or critical approach for interpreting the artist’s work.

At this stage, skim each reading and identify why it may be useful. You will engage with the selected course readings more closely in Version 2.

Additional academic sources

Select 2 academic sources that provide scholarly research about the artist, a relevant artistic practice, concept, history, community, or cultural or political context.

Academic sources may include:

• peer-reviewed journal articles;
• academic book chapters;
• scholarly exhibition catalogues; or
• conference papers.

Search through the McMaster Library databases or Google Scholar.

An academic source does not need to focus only on your selected artist. It may address a related practice, concept, history, community, or context that helps you investigate your research questions.

Primary artist sources

Select 2 primary artist sources.

A primary artist source presents the artist’s or collective’s own words, work, or perspective.

Examples include:

• an official website or project page;
• an artist statement;
• an interview or artist talk;
• an essay written by the artist; or
• a recorded lecture, performance, or conversation involving the artist.

A gallery or museum page is not automatically a primary artist source. Check who created the content and whose perspective it presents.

Critical or contextual sources

Select 2 critical or contextual sources that discuss or interpret the artist, artwork, or its broader context.

Examples include:

• exhibition or catalogue essays;
• reviews in established arts publications;
• museum or gallery texts;
• documentaries, podcasts, or recorded conversations; or
• articles from cultural organizations or reputable media.

Do not use unattributed pages, copied biographies, promotional summaries without an author, or sources that provide only basic facts.

Before moving on: Your pair should have 8 potential core sources: 2 course readings, 2 additional academic sources, 2 primary artist sources, and 2 critical or contextual sources.

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Step 2: Read enough to assess each source

Do more than save a link. At this stage, you need to determine whether each source can contribute useful information, evidence, concepts, or perspectives to your research.

For each of your 4 assigned sources:

1. Skim the abstract, introduction, or opening section.
2. Review the headings, examples, and conclusion, when available.
3. Identify the source’s main argument or useful information.
4. Identify how it may connect to your research questions or selected artworks.
5. Decide how the source may help your project.
6. Note any limitations, missing context, or questions you have about the source.

You do not need to complete a close reading of every source in Version 1. You will engage with the selected sources more closely in Version 2.

Do not use an AI-generated or other generated summary instead of reading the source. A generated summary may omit arguments, examples, context, or limitations that you need for your research.

Before moving on: You should be able to explain what each of your 4 assigned sources provides and why it may be useful for the project.

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Step 3: Complete the source map

Bring together the sources found by both partners and create one source map with 8 core sources.

For each source, complete one row using this structure:

APA reference and link	Source type	What the source provides	How you may use it
Complete APA reference and accessible link	Course reading, academic, primary artist, or critical/contextual	Summarize the useful information or argument in 2–3 sentences.	Explain how the source may support a research question, artwork analysis, or section of the profile.

Write all notes in your own words.

Source-map example

APA reference and link	Source type	What the source provides	How you may use it
Tuck, E. (2009). “Suspending Damage: A Letter to Communities.” Harvard Educational Review, 79(3), 409–427.	Course reading	Tuck explains how research can focus too heavily on the pain and damage experienced by marginalized communities. She argues that researchers should also consider people’s knowledge, desires, goals, and experiences beyond trauma (pp. 409–413).	We could use this reading to consider how Mónica Mayer shares stories of harassment in El Tendedero. It may help us ask whether the work allows participants to be understood beyond their experiences of violence and what responsibilities the artist has when displaying personal stories.

Before moving on: Check that all 8 core sources have a complete source-map entry and that each entry explains both what the source provides and how you may use it.

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Step 4: Review how you are using the sources

Review the complete source map together before finalizing your selections.

Check that you:

• separate what the artist states from what another writer argues and what you interpret;
• do not assume the artist’s identity, intentions, beliefs, or relationships with communities;
• do not reduce an artist or community to oppression, trauma, or identity categories;
• consider who created each source and whose perspective is centred; and
• identify perspectives or context that may be missing when relevant.

If a source is unreliable, provides too little information, or does not connect to your research direction, replace it before completing Version 1.

Before moving on: Both partners should understand why each of the 8 sources has been included and what perspective, information, or critical approach it may contribute.

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Step 5: Check your APA references and links

Use APA 7th edition for your source-map references.

Use the McMaster University Library APA Style Guide to check formats for books, chapters, journal articles, websites, videos, and other sources.

For each source:

• check the author or creator;
• check the publication date;
• check the complete title;
• check the publication or website information;
• include a DOI or accessible link when appropriate; and
• open the link to confirm that it works.

Optional tool: Google Scholar Button

The Google Scholar Button can help you create a draft APA reference. It is optional.

To use it in Google Chrome:

1. Install the Google Scholar Button.
2. Pin the button to the browser toolbar.
3. Open the source webpage, or highlight the title of an article, book, or chapter.
4. Select the Scholar Button to search for the source.
5. Under the correct result, select the quotation-mark icon and choose APA.
6. Copy the reference and add the source link or DOI.

Google Scholar citations may contain errors or missing information. Compare the generated reference with the original source and the McMaster APA guide before submitting.

Before moving on: Your source map should contain 8 assessed core sources, complete APA references, working links when applicable, and a clear explanation of how each source may contribute to your research.

In Stages 1 and 2, you established your research direction, questions, two preliminary artworks or projects, and eight core sources. In this stage, bring that work together, review it as a pair, and prepare the two files required for Version 1.

Complete the steps below in order.

Step 1: Review your research together

Before preparing the final files, both partners should review the complete Version 1 work.

Together, confirm that:

• We both read the complete 250–300-word research proposal.
• We have 1 main research question and 1–2 supporting questions.
• Our research questions connect to the selected artworks or projects.
• We selected 2 preliminary artworks or projects and explained how each connects to our research direction.
• Our source map contains 8 core sources in the required categories.
• We understand why each source was selected and how it may contribute to the research.
• We checked the APA references and links.
• We revised the work together so it reads as one research project, not two separate parts.

Both partners are responsible for the accuracy and completion of the full submission.

Before moving on: Both partners should understand the complete research direction and be able to explain the proposal, research questions, artwork selections, and source choices.

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Step 2: Prepare the Version 1 PDF

Prepare one PDF per pair.

Put the following information in this order:

1. Both partners’ full names and student numbers.
2. The name of the artist or collective.
3. The 250–300-word research proposal.
4. The 1 main research question and 1–2 supporting questions.
5. The 2 preliminary artwork or project selections, including the required information for each.
6. The source map with 8 core sources.
7. A text version of the Pecha Kucha slide’s content, including the artwork titles and image credits.

Organize the document with clear headings so each required section is easy to find.

Before exporting the PDF

Check that:

• The document uses a clear heading order and consistent reading order.
• The text is readable and has sufficient contrast with the background.
• Important information is not communicated through colour alone.
• Links are clickable and use descriptive link text.
• Images needed to understand the research have a caption or image description.
• Artwork and other media include the required creator or photographer credits and source information.

Export the document as a text-based PDF, not as scanned pages or screenshots. Make sure the text can be selected and searched.

Name the file:

P1_Research-Direction.pdf

Before moving on: Open the exported PDF. Check that every required section is present, the text can be selected and searched, the links work, and the images, captions, and credits appear correctly.

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Step 3: Prepare your Pecha Kucha slide

During the next lecture, each pair will give a one-minute Pecha Kucha presentation. Presentations will take place one after another. There will be no questions or class discussion after each presentation.

Prepare one slide that includes:

• the selected artist or collective;
• the proposed research focus in 1 sentence;
• the main research question;
• images of the 2 preliminary artworks or projects; and
• the title, year, and image credit for each artwork.

Slide format

• Submit the slide as one .JPG or .PNG file.
• Use a 16:9 format.
• The recommended size is 1920 × 1080 px.

Slide design

Make the slide easy to understand during a one-minute presentation:

• use large, readable text;
• use sufficient contrast between text and background;
• keep the amount of text brief;
• do not use colour alone to organize or identify information;
• do not place important text over a visually complex image;
• make both artwork images large enough to see; and
• make the artwork titles, years, and image credits readable.

Include all important slide text, artwork titles, and image credits in the Version 1 PDF so a text-based version of the slide content is available.

Name the file:

P1_Research-Direction-Slide.jpg

or

P1_Research-Direction-Slide.png

Before moving on: Check that both artworks are visible, the main research direction can be understood quickly, and all required artwork information and image credits are included.

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Step 4: Prepare for the one-minute presentation

Choose one speaker for Version 1.

The presentation must not exceed one minute. You may use brief notes and do not need to memorize the presentation.

Use the minute to introduce:

• the artist or collective;
• your proposed research focus;
• your main research question; and
• the two preliminary artworks or projects.

Use the slide to support what you are saying rather than reading all of its text aloud.

If presenting verbally creates an access barrier, contact the instructor in advance to arrange an accessible alternative that meets the same learning goals.

Slides must be submitted in advance so they can be presented in sequence without changing computers.

End of Stage 3: Your pair should have a complete Version 1 PDF, one Pecha Kucha slide, and a plan for the one-minute presentation.