Today was another beautiful day in Bloomington. And, being just about over my cold, I rode the bike into the department. Nice to get some exercise prior to lowering my shoulder and working on some ICA papers. Below is a list of what I'm working on, and it's stage of completion. I'm afraid if you want more details on the papers, you'll have to email me (or go to Dresden!). This is just a list for me to see where I'm at:
The paper on the "Double-Units" clutter study with Brian Wilson and Ashley Sanders Jackson is about 95% done. I've put it in the hads of my co-authors and am waiting to hear back from them. Then, I need to write a discussion and send it in.
The abstract for the paper that looks at the impact of video and auditory structural complexity and information density on secondary task reaction times is 95% done as well. It's in the hands of coauthors and I'll likely submit it tomorrow.
The abstract I'm working on with Seth Finn and Sungkyoung is done and emailed to them. This is truly a new area for me--Seth is introducing the concept of semantic uncertainty at the individual word level and making predictions about autonomic arousal levels and enjoyment. I've sent it to him to make sure the hypotheses are correct. Unfortunately, he's in Italy (!) and I don't know if he works weekends. After I hear from him and Sungkyoung, I'll submit that one.
The paper that I'm writing with Annie Lang and Satoko Kurita, which presents data validating a shorter measure of MAM (Motivation Activation Measure), which Annie developed with her grad students last year is the NEXT one that I'll be focusing on. Satoko has done a good job of preparing the methods section and the results. I'm going to write the front end and the hypotheses tomorrow and have it waiting for Annie to look at on Monday. Since it's her measure, I really do want her to give it the "okay" before it gets submitted. She's seen the data, though, and it's obvious that the shorter measure is very comparable to the MAM that's approximately 2/3 longer for subjects to complete. So, I want to know that one out tomorrow.
Then, I've been leading a group of grad students on a content analysis of Mercury Award winning Ads from the Radio Advertising Bureau and RAP award winners from Radio and Production Magazine. We've got 5 years of ads coded--all except for one year of Mercury winners. I've been waiting to get that data from my Research Assistant for 2 days. . .and haven't heard a word. GRRRR. Luckily, the literature review sections have been started by the grad students and I hopefully can put it together quickly.
Whew!
Now, why did I decide to TYPE a blog after spending all day writing?!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Friday, October 28, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
All this time getting ready--and I'm not even going to the dance
First, my thanks to those who expressed their support for this blog in light of my latest post. My goal WAS (and is) to use this outlet as a way to get my research results out quickly to those who might be interested in what we were doing at the ICR. I have also hoped that someday, some potential graduate student will stumble upon it an be able to put a human story behind what can seem the inapproachable and daunting task. I'm not perfect, just curious, and that's what keeps me going.
And that has certainly been highlighted these past few days. Those of you who have been with The Audio Prof blog since the early days remember that one of the first postings was from the International Communication Association Conference in New York City last May. Well, in order to attend these conferences, researchers must first submit their papers for blind review. If reviewers think the paper is good enough, it gets "accepted" for presentation at the conference.
Well, the ICA deadline is Nov. 1. Gulp, only 8 days from now. I'm working on six papers in a variety of capacities. (alright, half of those are abstracts. . .explaining work in progress. . . and are only 4-pages long).
And what's more, I won't even be going to the conference--which this year is in Munich, Germany. Still, the writing of the papers and satisfying my curiousity on "what the data say" about the things we're investigating is what keeps me doing it anyway. That and grad students who have been helping me with the project deserve the chance to go.
Luckily, the darn cold that ripped through our household seems to have worked its way through me, mostly. Now, I can get back to work!
And that has certainly been highlighted these past few days. Those of you who have been with The Audio Prof blog since the early days remember that one of the first postings was from the International Communication Association Conference in New York City last May. Well, in order to attend these conferences, researchers must first submit their papers for blind review. If reviewers think the paper is good enough, it gets "accepted" for presentation at the conference.
Well, the ICA deadline is Nov. 1. Gulp, only 8 days from now. I'm working on six papers in a variety of capacities. (alright, half of those are abstracts. . .explaining work in progress. . . and are only 4-pages long).
And what's more, I won't even be going to the conference--which this year is in Munich, Germany. Still, the writing of the papers and satisfying my curiousity on "what the data say" about the things we're investigating is what keeps me doing it anyway. That and grad students who have been helping me with the project deserve the chance to go.
Luckily, the darn cold that ripped through our household seems to have worked its way through me, mostly. Now, I can get back to work!
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Not that I haven't thought about it.
My thanks, I think, to colleague Julia Fox who gave me a copy of an article in The Chicago Tribune about a political science assistant professor at the University of Chicago who was recently denied tenure. The headline reads "Did blogging doom prof's shot at tenure?" You can read the article online--it's written by Steve Johnson--by clicking here.
Basically, it ponders whether the blog of Daniel Drezner could have been the reason that he was denied tenure. Tenure can be (and usually is) a time of great self-doubt for junior faculty members. You are critiqued by members of your own faculty (so, in my case, members of the Department of Telecommunications) who vote on whether you have done exemplary work in three areas: research, teaching, and service. After the 'local' faculty vote, the tenure case works its way up the chain--to the college level, then the university level, and finally to the Provost/President/Board of Trustees.
Every University is slightly different, but the general path is the same--from the local department where you are known as much as a person as by your paper vitae--to levels where you are only known by your accomplishments. Although in Drezner's case, it seems that he was denied at the local level--which may speak to other reasons beyond the blog--I can't help but expect that at the upper levels people who serve on, say, a College committee on Promotion and Tenure, might try to learn more about the candidate "as a person" by visiting their website.
And, in Drezner's case as well as mine, there's the blog in all it's glory. Or tarnish.
In fact, in my case the blog is the first thing they see. You'll notice that the "my research" link is over there small along the right margin.
Now my research is all peer-reviewed, which means it is put under a microscope of peers who don't know who I am. They critique it, comment on it, rip -it-apart, and. . . in the end. . .make it better. I've said many times that--as much as I respond with disdain upon receiving a Revise and Resubmit letter from a journal editor, I have NEVER had it result in anything but a stronger piece of research. And, I think (and hope) that this is what I'll be judged on.
But, my blog. . . my blog is rough. It's human and it's from the hip. Right now I'm sittin' on my couch in my bathrobe watching ESPN Sunday Countdown. And, I'm writing this blog. Should it be considered in my tenure decision. No.
Will it?
Who knows.
Basically, it ponders whether the blog of Daniel Drezner could have been the reason that he was denied tenure. Tenure can be (and usually is) a time of great self-doubt for junior faculty members. You are critiqued by members of your own faculty (so, in my case, members of the Department of Telecommunications) who vote on whether you have done exemplary work in three areas: research, teaching, and service. After the 'local' faculty vote, the tenure case works its way up the chain--to the college level, then the university level, and finally to the Provost/President/Board of Trustees.
Every University is slightly different, but the general path is the same--from the local department where you are known as much as a person as by your paper vitae--to levels where you are only known by your accomplishments. Although in Drezner's case, it seems that he was denied at the local level--which may speak to other reasons beyond the blog--I can't help but expect that at the upper levels people who serve on, say, a College committee on Promotion and Tenure, might try to learn more about the candidate "as a person" by visiting their website.
And, in Drezner's case as well as mine, there's the blog in all it's glory. Or tarnish.
In fact, in my case the blog is the first thing they see. You'll notice that the "my research" link is over there small along the right margin.
Now my research is all peer-reviewed, which means it is put under a microscope of peers who don't know who I am. They critique it, comment on it, rip -it-apart, and. . . in the end. . .make it better. I've said many times that--as much as I respond with disdain upon receiving a Revise and Resubmit letter from a journal editor, I have NEVER had it result in anything but a stronger piece of research. And, I think (and hope) that this is what I'll be judged on.
But, my blog. . . my blog is rough. It's human and it's from the hip. Right now I'm sittin' on my couch in my bathrobe watching ESPN Sunday Countdown. And, I'm writing this blog. Should it be considered in my tenure decision. No.
Will it?
Who knows.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Reliability woes
I'm in the middle of working on a content analysis of award-winning radio ads. For those of you who don't know, a content analysis is where you systematically count the presence of certain types of content in media messages. The content can be mainifest--in other words, so obviously present that there is little question. Or it can be latent--meaning it is more open to interpretation.
When doing a content anlysis you develop a code book which describes the different categories of content you are looking at. You then train the coders what to do with the content. Then, you basically test the understandability of the codebook by having all your coders analyze the same messages and test how similar their answers are.
Well, that's right where we are now. We are doing pretty good on recognizing the manifest content. You know--we're pretty good at recognizing when ads have multiple speakers and background music. However--we were also pretty good at some things that I thought we might have trouble with. Like whether it was an ad for a product or service . Or the type of product category it falls in.
But, we have trouble with some things that require much more interpretation. Tonight I have to work on how we define sex appeal and humor.
---But--for right now, I'm watching a TIVO'd version of Everybody Hates Chris. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you check it out.
When doing a content anlysis you develop a code book which describes the different categories of content you are looking at. You then train the coders what to do with the content. Then, you basically test the understandability of the codebook by having all your coders analyze the same messages and test how similar their answers are.
Well, that's right where we are now. We are doing pretty good on recognizing the manifest content. You know--we're pretty good at recognizing when ads have multiple speakers and background music. However--we were also pretty good at some things that I thought we might have trouble with. Like whether it was an ad for a product or service . Or the type of product category it falls in.
But, we have trouble with some things that require much more interpretation. Tonight I have to work on how we define sex appeal and humor.
---But--for right now, I'm watching a TIVO'd version of Everybody Hates Chris. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you check it out.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Bad Timing
Well, like I would tell my undergrads--you should not put an assignment off until the very last minute because you never know how you'll feel. Part of having kids in kindegarten and preschool is that they bring home every sort of germ known to man. And, likely some that are not known to man. The family has been fighting a tough cold/cough/etc. for the past week. And, now I've got it. Oh well, I only have 20 or so papers to grade today!
Great football yesterday. Congrats to bama, still undefeated!
Great football yesterday. Congrats to bama, still undefeated!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Now what
So I feel an urge to update the blog now that it's "my home page." So, all morning i've been trying to find a big topic to write on. Nope, nothing coming.
So, while I spend the entire weekend grading my T511 midterms--you do something much more fun. Check out Andrew Bucksbarg's latest creation at Mediatopia.2 fresh. Andrew gave the T600 brown bag this week. He is a great audio producer and adds his experise to some very interesting web art.
I particularly like Feed Me 2.
So, while I spend the entire weekend grading my T511 midterms--you do something much more fun. Check out Andrew Bucksbarg's latest creation at Mediatopia.2 fresh. Andrew gave the T600 brown bag this week. He is a great audio producer and adds his experise to some very interesting web art.
I particularly like Feed Me 2.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Looking for a job?
Thanks to Thom Gillespie who sent me an email suggesting I should just make the blogger page my homepage as opposed to the very graphically challenged homepage I had set up before at www.theaudioprof.com
Great idea, and after figuring out how to forward that URL to the blogger page (since the former is easier to remember, arguably)--here I am.
Oh, and if there are any academics reading this who are looking for positions--we have THREE great ones:
The first is for senior scholars:
Then we have two others for those just starting out in this world of University teaching:
Of course, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.
email me at rfpotter@indiana.edu
Great idea, and after figuring out how to forward that URL to the blogger page (since the former is easier to remember, arguably)--here I am.
Oh, and if there are any academics reading this who are looking for positions--we have THREE great ones:
The first is for senior scholars:
Indiana University Department of Telecommunications has an opening for an advanced associate or full professor whose scholarly work is in the area of effects, mass media law and policy, or design and production. It would be a bonus if this scholar’s research or creative activity focuses on or is relevant to the study of health communication, games, network analysis, or writing for the media. The ideal candidate would be one whose research or creative activity contributes in some way to increasing already existing synergies between the cognitive and social level of effects research, between traditional and new media, and between the science and the aesthetics of media production.
We offer a B.A. in Telecommunications as well as M.A., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Undergraduates can also pursue certificates in New Media and Interactive Storytelling and in Game Studies. There are established M.A. and M.S. programs in Immersive Mediated Environments (MIME). Joint M.S. / M.B.A. and M.S. / J.D. degrees are offered in conjunction with the Schools of Business and Law. Our Institute for Communication Research offers support for faculty research including assistance with stimulus design/creation and data collection using an array of methodologies (psychophysiology, focus groups, personal interviews, and computer-assisted survey/experiment administration). We also have digital audio, video and multimedia production technologies. Salaries, fringe benefits and research and teaching opportunities are consistent with peer Research I institutions.
Current research faculty include experts in media psychology and sociology, media economics, political communication, organizational communication, digital games, and media law, policy and technology. Creative faculty emphasize digital and analog media production and digital gaming and interactive storytelling. While we especially seek people in law and policy, management, media psychology, traditional and interactive storytelling, game design, and international communications, our overall objective is to attract the best applicants in the field, regardless of interests, who either enhance current strengths or extend our reach. More about the positions, the department, and our faculty and programs can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~telecom/. and http://www.indiana.edu/~icr/index.htm.
Applicants should submit (1) a cover letter summarizing their qualifications for the position and explaining how they will add to, supplement or complement existing department strengths, (2) a current vita, (3) selected research publications and/or a portfolio documenting recent creative work (as applicable), and (4) evidence of effective teaching. Three letters of recommendation should be submitted directly by recommenders.
Direct questions and applications to Professor Walter Gantz, Chair, Department of Telecommunications,
Start date is August 15, 2006. Review of applications will begin December 2, 2005, and will continue until the position is filled.
Then we have two others for those just starting out in this world of University teaching:
Two Faculty Positions
Department of Telecommunications
We offer a B.A. in Telecommunications as well as M.A., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Undergraduates can also pursue certificates in New Media and Interactive Storytelling and in Game Studies. There are established M.A. and M.S. programs in Immersive Mediated Environments (MIME). Joint M.S. / M.B.A. and M.S. / J.D. degrees are offered in conjunction with the Schools of Business and Law. Our Institute for Communication Research offers support for faculty research including assistance with stimulus design/creation and data collection using an array of methodologies (psychophysiology, focus groups, personal interviews, and computer-assisted survey/experiment administration). We also have digital audio, video and multimedia production technologies. Salaries, fringe benefits and research and teaching opportunities are consistent with peer Research I institutions.
Current research faculty include experts in media psychology and sociology, media economics, political communication, organizational communication, digital games, and media law, policy and technology. Creative faculty emphasize digital and analog media production and digital gaming and interactive storytelling. While we especially seek people in law and policy, management, media psychology, interactive storytelling, game design, 3D modeling, and international communications, our overall objective is to attract the best applicants in the field, regardless of interests, who either enhance current strengths or extend our reach. More about the positions, the department, and our faculty and programs can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~telecom/. and http://www.indiana.edu/~icr/index.htm.
Applicants should submit (1) a cover letter summarizing their qualifications for the position and explaining how they will add to, supplement or complement existing department strengths, (2) a current vita, (3) selected research publications and/or a portfolio documenting recent creative work (as applicable), and (4) evidence of effective teaching. Three letters of recommendation should be submitted directly by recommenders.
Direct questions and applications to Professor Walter Gantz, Chair, Department of Telecommunications,
Start date is
Of course, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.
email me at rfpotter@indiana.edu
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Nice Hoosier Weekend
My friend (and member of my IU grad school cohort), Matt Jackson, was in town this weekend to give the T600 colloquium talk. Nicely ironic that it was homecoming weekend, to boot. Matt's talk was interesting. He's a scholar interested in copyright law as it applies to the digital world we live in. He's also the Department Head in the Dept. of Telecommunications at Penn State. Beyond that, just a nice guy and it was great to see him.
Hoosiers won their homecoming game
And, for Matt's sake I'm glad that PSU won their game as well (with all appologies to my friend Sam who is now on faculty at Ohio State). And, I guess with all appologies to Joe Paterno, who I thought should have been shown the door long ago.
Also went to a very nice wedding on Saturday night. A woman in the ICR got married to her fiance--a Physics grad student. It was out in Morgan Monroe state park--a lovely time.
Now, though, the weekend is over an I'm getting ready to post lectures! Onward.
Hoosiers won their homecoming game
And, for Matt's sake I'm glad that PSU won their game as well (with all appologies to my friend Sam who is now on faculty at Ohio State). And, I guess with all appologies to Joe Paterno, who I thought should have been shown the door long ago.
Also went to a very nice wedding on Saturday night. A woman in the ICR got married to her fiance--a Physics grad student. It was out in Morgan Monroe state park--a lovely time.
Now, though, the weekend is over an I'm getting ready to post lectures! Onward.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
It's not even Halloween Yet
My thanks (?) to Inside Radio for this tip:
The Website for WNIC in Detroit is already heavily hinting that they are the home for Christmas/Holiday music.
Oh my!
Enough already!
The Website for WNIC in Detroit is already heavily hinting that they are the home for Christmas/Holiday music.
Oh my!
Enough already!
Another one out the door
I'm actually so tired that right now the only thing I can do it effectively, I'm afraid, is write this blog. Two days ago, I contacted a Journal editor with an abstract from the study I did a while back. I wanted to see if he was interested in receiving it to send out for review.
Fortunately, he did sound encouraging in his response and even asked me to get it to him as soon as possible. So he could get it out for review in time for it to be considered for a January 1 issue!
Unfortunately, that meant I had to really haul in order to polish it up and send it out to him via e-mail. To make matters even more interesting -- this morning I had to pick up my friend Matt Jackson at the airport. Matt is visiting the Department of telecommunications tomorrow and giving the T600 colloquium. It's really good to see Matt, but having to spend the three hours it took to pick him up meant that I couldn't work on polishing this Journal article this morning. So, I worked on it last night. And then woke up very early this morning to finish it up and send it off.
Luckily, now it's in the works, and we'll wait and see what the reviewers have to say.
But, like I said, the results of my five hours of sleep last night is that I am pretty tired right now -- and unable to muster the cognitive effort needed to continue working on another manuscript that I'm trying to write up.
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