Intervention Research

Scheduling

Full time students
The classes for the development of the research plan are scheduled for Wednesdays in Term 3. The embedded research will be conducted in Term 4, followed by the write up.

Part time students
The 2020 cohort will complete the research plans September to December on Wednesdays 15:00-16:00, followed by the placement in Terms 3 and 4 and the write up in the summer.

The 2021 cohort will develop the research plans from late April to June, followed by the placement in Terms 3 and 4 and the write up in the summer of 2023.

Content

Working as an embedded researcher at a museum or heritage organisation, you will conduct independent research while developing, implementing, monitoring or evaluating an intervention in the museum or heritage field. The professional placement gives students an opportunity to develop their professional skills, attitude and experience and apply in a working environment the theoretical and practical knowledge they have acquired during the programme. In addition, the placement is a way to build one’s network and increase access to the labour market. It differs from an internship in the sense that your responsibility at the hosting organisation is to conduct embedded research, rather than being engaged in day-to-day operations.

In December, at a research market, professional organisations will present their issues and concomitant research needs for students to choose from. After finding a mutual match in terms of research topic and expectations, you will subsequently work on a research plan, assisted by more in-depth seminars on intervention research design, methods and data analysis. Building on the previous modules, you will work on the articulation of the problem at hand, and a detailed work plan for the research that is needed in order to develop, implement, monitor, and/or evaluate an intervention at a host institution of choice. In most cases, the research will consist of a combination of desk research, emotion networking, interviews and fieldwork. In workshops and class assignments, students will further develop their skills in these realms. The main research findings are summarised and presented in a poster at the Reinwardt Academy at the end of term 4.

Learning objectives

To be able to:

  • compare and contrast various research strategies and methodologies;
  • identify, recognise and analyse (conflicting) interests, stakes and emotions of involved actors with multiple backgrounds;

To be able to:

  • demonstrate historical knowledge and historical awareness within the context of intervention research.

To be able to:

  • conduct independent research in the process of designing, implementing, monitoring or evaluating an intervention in a theoretically, practically and ethically substantiated manner on behalf of a client;
  • design and/or implement, in co-creation, interventions around heritage objects addressing a societal issue, while acknowledging (conflicting) interests, stakes and emotions of involved actors with diverse backgrounds;

To be able to:

  • demonstrate effective collaborative, project and change management skills in the process of developing, implementing, monitoring or evaluating a professional intervention in the museum or heritage field.

To be able to:

  • develop meaningful and ethical recommendations for the design or implementation of a professional intervention on behalf of a client, and in relation to sustainability, inclusivity or digitality;

To be able to:

  • design an appealing academic poster in professional English, and present it clearly to peers;
  • listen to stakeholders and effectively communicate ideas;
  • effectively communicate to senior management.
  • present research data, and the discussion thereof, in writing in accordance with international standards;

To be able to:

  • critically reflect on, and assess, their own role and impact as a professional active in the museum and heritage field;
  • demonstrate autonomous learning of missing skills or knowledge in the course of conducting embedded research at a given organisation.

Assessment

Formative assessments

  • Presentation: a classroom presentation of the intended intervention-related research prior to formal submission of the research plan.
  • Research plan describing the intended intervention-related research.
  • Poster of the preliminary research findings. Only after a successful proposal presentation can one start the embedded research. If the presentation is insufficient the research can only start if the written plan is deemed sufficient

Summative assessments

  • Placement report (20%), largely consisting of a self-evaluation of professional conduct during the placement incorporating a reflection on the host’s evaluation, challenges and learning goals for the near future.
  • Research report (80%) detailing the research methods, results, analysis and the recommendations. Both reports will be subject of discussion between the student and the examiners, provided the work is deemed sufficient. Hereafter the final grade is awarded.

Entry requirements

You can only participate in the workshops if you have a confirmed placement provider. You can only start your placement if you have successfully completed two of the three previous modules and after the approval of your research plan on the basis of the oral presentation or the written document.

Expectations

In phase 1, you are to actively work on your research plan, share your progress with the group and comment on the work of others. In phase 2, you are expected to work as a professional embedded researcher at a placement organisation for at least 300 hours. You are not expected to engage with the day to day running of the organisation unless this may be beneficial to your research. In case you run into a problem during the research or writing phase (phase 3), it is your responsibility to contact your Reinwardt or host supervisor for assistance. The research you conduct and the resultant recommendations should be beneficial to the placement provider.

Lecturers

Judy Jaffe-Schagen (coordinator), Menno Welling.

Study load

Lectures, workshops 32h
Class readings 40h
Placement & embedded research 300h
Research plan 60h
Poster 8h
Placement report 18h
Analysis and report writing 158h
Total616h

Literature

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