Practical Research for Literary Institutions

Commissioned by a literary institution, students conduct small-scale practical research related to the theme of the course: authorship as entrepreneurship.

Aims

  • Students learn to relate scientific findings and research to practical questions from literary institutions;
  • Students gain more insight in literary institutions (exploration of the labour market);
  • Literary institutions have the chance to use the time and expertise of our students to get answers to questions regarding their policies;
  • Literary institutions are introduced to possible future trainees/ employees/freelancers.

Students ec’s for this assignment

60% of 5 EC

Teacher effort (hours)

The teacher effort is comparable to supervision of other kinds of assignments. Teachers are responsible for the process, mediate between institutions and students, and assess the reports.

Final product

Report with a description of the conducted research and an analysis of the results.

Assessment criteria

  • How well-defined is the problem?
  • How relevant is the literature used?
  • How effective is the chosen method and how carefully was it used?
  • How convenient is the presentation of the results?
  • How useful and precise is the analysis of the results?
  • Does the synthesis show how the results relate to the problem?

Description of the example

Students chose a commission, developed in collaboration with three literary institutions: , Poetry International, or . Examples of the research questions are: ‘Which types of literature are consumed by visitors of ILFU, and are these free or paid types of literature?’ (method: questionnaire among visitors); ‘How does Poetry International advance author’s opportunities to profit from their writings (by enlarging their networks, creating visibility, et cetera)’? (method: interviewing authors); or ‘What considerations have authors in mind when they have to negotiate about their fee, and how do these considerations relate to their agents’ criteria?’ (method: interviewing authors and agents).

More information / Contact

Laurens Ham (l.j.ham@uu.nl) and Nina Geerdink (n.geerdink@uu.nl).