ENG 6812
ENG 6812

Research Methods for Texts & Technology

Dr. Emily Johnson  ·  University of Central Florida

interdisciplinary methods for curious researchers

Please see Canvas for the official course syllabus.

Weekly Schedule

Week 1: Welcome

  • Read: Sweeney, M. (2012, June 20). How to read for grad school. Miriam E. Sweeney. https://miriamsweeney.net/2012/06/20/readforgradschool/
  • Read: Cosley, D. (2013, February 18). On asking questions and academic love. Lightly Filtered. https://blogs.cornell.edu/danco/2013/02/18/on-asking-questions-and-academic-love/
  • Read: How to ask a question at an academic talk. (2023, September 21). The Historians’ Sketchpad. https://salutemmundo.wordpress.com/2023/09/21/how-to-ask-a-question-at-an-academic-talk/
  • Read: The art of asking questions (handout adapted from George Washington University’s Capstone Symposium; PDF in Canvas)
  • Complete: Academic Activity Verification (Friday, 5:00 PM)
  • In class survey

Week 2: Experiments

  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use experimental designs [Chapter 3]. In When to use what research design (pp. 48–66). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Vogt, E. R., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2014). Coding experimental data [Chapter 3]. In Selecting the right analyses for your data: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (pp. 64–103). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Franzke, A. S., Bechmann, A., Zimmer, M., Ess, C., & Association of Internet Researchers. (2020). Internet research: Ethical guidelines 3.0 (pp. 1–31). Association of Internet Researchers. https://aoir.org/reports/ethics3.pdf
  • Additional resources
    • Kong, Y., & Johnson, E. K. (2025). Virtu-ELLE vocabulary: Evaluating three second language acquisition VR games. In Proceedings of the 2025 11th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN) (pp. 209–218). https://doi.org/10.56198/tw4hct56
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Experimental research presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about experimental research (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: CITI certification (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 3: No class (Labor Day)

Week 4: Surveys

  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use survey designs [Chapter 1]. In When to use what research design (pp. 15–30). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Vogt, E. R., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2014). Coding survey data [Chapter 1]. In Selecting the right analyses for your data: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (pp. 21–39). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Salkind, N. J., & Frey, B. B. (2020). Significantly significant: What it means for you and me [Chapter 9]. In Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics (7th ed., pp. 155–170). SAGE.
  • Read: Rouse, L., & Stanfill, M. (2025). Quantifying fandom: Identity, romance, and platform preferences on Archive of Our Own. New Media & Society, 1–20.
  • Additional resources
    • Hayhoe, G. F., & Brewer, P. E. (2020). Analyzing quantitative data. In A research primer for technical communication (2nd ed.). Routledge.
    • Kong, Y., & Johnson, E. K. (2026). The future of language learning is fun: Gaming behaviors and preferences of L2 students. Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.59668/2579.26742
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Survey research presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about survey research (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Zotero bibliography (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 5: Interviews

  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use interview designs [Chapter 2]. In When to use what research design (pp. 31–47). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Vogt, E. R., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2014). Coding interview data [Chapter 2]. In Selecting the right analyses for your data: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (pp. 40–63). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Rose, G. (2023). Interviews and ethnographies [Chapter 12]. In Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials (5th ed., pp. 284–319). SAGE. [in your textbook]
  • Additional resources
    • Gunning, S. K. (2025). How do nonprofit proposal writers learn their jobs? Results of a nationwide survey and interviews. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 39(2), 191–224. https://doi.org/10.1177/10506519241307786
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Interview research presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about interview research (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 6: Observations & ethnographies

  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use observational designs [Chapter 4]. In When to use what research design (pp. 67–85). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Vogt, E. R., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2014). Coding data from naturalistic and participant observations [Chapter 4]. In Selecting the right analyses for your data: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (pp. 104–137). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Chang, H. (2008). Autoethnography [Chapter 3]. In Autoethnography as method (pp. 43–72). Left Coast Press.
  • Additional resources
    • Pink, S., Horst, H., Postill, J., Hjorth, L., Lewis, T., & Tacchi, J. (2016). Digital ethnography: Principles and practice. SAGE. https://www.academia.edu/download/40273901/71681_Pink_Digital_Ethnography.pdf
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Ethnography presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Autoethnography presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about observational and ethnographic research (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 7: Platform analysis & social media

  • Read: Goldenfein, J., & Griffin, D. (2022). Google Scholar: Platforming the scholarly economy. Internet Policy Review, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.14763/2022.3.1671
  • Read: Brock, A. (2018). Critical technocultural discourse analysis. New Media & Society, 20(3), 1012–1030.
  • Read: Noble, S. U. (2018). A society, searching [Chapter 1]. In Algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism (pp. 15–63). NYU Press.
  • Read: Anable, A. (2018). Platform studies. Feminist Media Histories, 4(2), 135–140. https://doi.org/10.1525/fmh.2018.4.2.135
  • Additional resources
    • Light, B., Burgess, J., & Duguay, S. (2018). The walkthrough method: An approach to the study of apps. New Media & Society, 20(3), 881–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816675438
    • Platform Studies book series by MIT Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/series/platform-studies/
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Platform analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about platform and social media research (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 8: Qualitative analysis: thematic & content analysis

  • Read: Saldaña, J. (2022). An introduction to codes and coding [Chapter 1]. In The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed., pp. 1–44). SAGE.
  • Read: Vogt, W. P., Vogt, E. R., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2014). Inductive analysis of qualitative data [Chapter 11]. In Selecting the right analyses for your data: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (pp. 373–399). Guilford Press.
  • Read: Charmaz, K. (2014). An invitation to grounded theory [Chapter 1]. In Constructing grounded theory (2nd ed., pp. 1–24). SAGE.
  • Read: Lacy, S., Watson, B. R., Riffe, D., & Lovejoy, J. (2015). Issues and best practices in content analysis. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 92(4), 791–811. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699015607338
  • Additional resources
    • Hayhoe, G. F., & Brewer, P. E. (2020). Conducting a qualitative study. In A research primer for technical communication (2nd ed.). Routledge.
    • Klein, L. F., Eisenstein, J., & Sun, I. (2015). Exploratory thematic analysis for digitized archival collections. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, 30(Suppl. 1), i130–i141. https://doi.org/10.1093/llc/fqv052
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Thematic analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Content analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about qualitative analysis (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 9: Textual, discourse, & rhetorical analysis

  • Read: Rose, G. (2023). Discourse analysis [Chapter 10]. In Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials (5th ed., pp. 214–248). SAGE. [in your textbook]
  • Read: Jones, C. (2024). Search engine discourse analysis. Information, Communication & Society, 27(5), 1025–1042.
  • Read: Selzer, J. (2004). Rhetorical analysis: Understanding how texts persuade readers. In C. Bazerman & P. Prior (Eds.), What writing does and how it does it: An introduction to analyzing texts and textual practices (pp. 279–307). Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Read: Stanfill, M. (2015). The interface as discourse: The production of norms through web design. New Media & Society, 17(7), 1059–1074. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814520873
  • Additional resources
    • Rose, G. (2023). Semiology [Chapter 9]. In Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials (5th ed., pp. 170–213). SAGE. [in your textbook]
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Textual analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Discourse analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Rhetorical analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about textual, discourse, and rhetorical analysis (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 10: Visual & cultural analysis

  • Read: Rose, G. (2023). A critical visual methodology [Chapter 3]. In Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials (5th ed., pp. 46–69). SAGE. [in your textbook]
  • Read: Rose, G. (2023). Compositional interpretation [Chapter 7]. In Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials (5th ed., pp. 118–147). SAGE. [in your textbook]
  • Read: Rose, G. (2023). Content analysis and cultural analytics [Chapter 8]. In Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials (5th ed., pp. 148–169). SAGE. [in your textbook]
  • Read: Manovich, L. (2020). Exploratory media analysis [Chapter 9]. In Cultural analytics (pp. 207–222). MIT Press. https://manovich.net/index.php/projects/cultural-analytics
  • Additional resources
    • Manovich, L. (2020). Types of cultural data [Chapter 4]. In Cultural analytics (pp. 75–92). MIT Press. https://manovich.net/index.php/projects/cultural-analytics
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Visual analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Cultural analysis presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about visual and cultural analysis (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 11: Critical making

  • Read: Ratto, M. (2011). Critical making: Conceptual and material studies in technology and social life. The Information Society, 27(4), 252–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2011.583819
  • Read: Staley, D. J. (2017). On the “maker turn” in the humanities [Chapter 2]. In J. Sayers (Ed.), Making things and drawing boundaries: Experiments in the digital humanities (pp. 32–41). University of Minnesota Press.
  • Read: Burdick, A., Drucker, J., Lunenfeld, P., Presner, T., & Schnapp, J. (2012). A portfolio of case studies. In Digital_Humanities (pp. 59–96). MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9248.001.0001
  • Additional resources
    • Critical making in the age of AI (open access). https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/zc77ss95p
    • Loveless, N. (2019). How to make art at the end of the world: A manifesto for research-creation. Duke University Press.
  • Complete: [Student TBD] Critical making presentation (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Prepare 2 questions about critical making (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 12: Disseminating & funding research

  • Read: Belcher, W. L. (2019). Crafting your claims for significance [Week 6]. In Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (2nd ed., pp. 190–215). University of Chicago Press.
  • Read: Belcher, W. L. (2019). Analyzing your evidence [Week 7]. In Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (2nd ed., pp. 216–237). University of Chicago Press.
  • Additional resources
    • UCF Office of Research PIVOT resource. https://www.research.ucf.edu/for-researchers/research-development/pivot/
    • Belcher, W. L. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success. SAGE Publications.
    • Helouvry, J. (2025). Scholarly publishing: Choosing a journal [Research guide]. Johns Hopkins University Libraries. https://guides.library.jhu.edu/scholarly_publishing/journals
  • Complete: Methods short list (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Complete: Grant, fellowship, or award call (replaces the typical “2 questions” assignment) (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 13: Participant protection

  • Read: Fiesler, C., & Proferes, N. (2018). Participant perceptions of Twitter research ethics. Social Media + Society, 4(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118763366
  • Read: Markham, A. (2012). Fabrication as ethical practice: Qualitative inquiry in ambiguous internet contexts. Information, Communication & Society, 15(3), 334–353.
  • Read: Spicker, P. (2011). Ethical covert research. Sociology, 45(1), 118–133.
  • Skim for discussion: Participant protection deep dive (page in Canvas)
  • Additional resources
    • Weber, R. (Host). (2019). Making tech comm more inclusive, part 1: Dr. Avery Edenfield on the tactical technical communication of transgender communities [Audio podcast episode]. In 10-Minute Tech Comm. https://tenminutetechcomm.com/index.php/podcast/making-tech-comm-more-inclusive-part-1-dr-avery-edenfield-on-the-tactical-technical-communication-of-transgender-communities/
    • Edenfield, A. C., Holmes, S., & Colton, J. S. (2019). Queering tactical technical communication: DIY HRT. Technical Communication Quarterly, 28(3), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2019.1607906
    • Branstetter, G. (2016, August 31). Sketchy pharmacies are selling hormones to transgender people. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/diy-hormone-replacement-therapy/498044/
    • Moeggenberg, Z. C., Edenfield, A. C., & Holmes, S. (2022). Trans oppression through technical rhetorics: A queer phenomenological analysis of institutional documents. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 36(4), 403–439. https://doi.org/10.1177/10506519221105492
    • Dewey, C. (2016, January 29). How the Internet black market profits off trans discrimination. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/01/29/how-an-ugly-internet-black-market-profits-off-trans-discrimination/
  • Complete: Grant proposal (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Week 14: No class (UCF closed for Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day)

Week 15: Presenting your research

  • Additional resources
    • Bishop, C. (n.d.). Planning poster presentations workshop handout. (PDF in Canvas)
    • Yale University Library. (2026). Academic poster resources [Research guide]. https://guides.library.yale.edu/academic-poster-resources
    • Kikkimon PhD. (2025, September 17). The secret to a great research presentation in 3 simple steps [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LHttJyEXt4
  • Complete: Mini prospectus (Monday, 5:00 PM)

Final poster session: December 7 (during official final exam assigned time)

  • Complete: Research poster (Monday, 5:00 PM)
  • Present: Poster presentation