Audiovisual Methods for Multispecies Fieldwork: From Production to Re-use(s)

Registration deadline: 1 month before the course starts

Organizer(s):
Jonas Fritsch, ITU
Mylène Tanferri, ITU
Kara Oehler, Institute for Climate Sound & Society

Lecturer(s):
Brian Due, KU
Kara Oehler, Institute for Climate Sound & Society
Jonas Fritsch, ITU
Guest lecturer, TBC

Date(s) of the course:
23-25 Sept 2026, 09:00-17:00

Room:
TBC

Course description:
Multispecies ethnographies, the study of roles and relations between humans and other species, have long integrated multimedia materials into their analysis. Video and sound recordings have become increasingly central to qualitative research across the social sciences and the natural sciences, capturing the complexity of interactions that unfold in real time and involve both human and non-human participants. Yet conducting research with these methods can be difficult, as they require a high-level of practical knowledge as well as specific reflexive skills. In this course, PhD students are introduced to video and sound methods, as well as questions about the kinds of phenomena, demonstrations, and results these can bring to their research. In addition, multimedia data often remains protected on the researcher’s computers and is used only in research contexts. This repurposing stage addresses a critical gap in ethnographic practice by transforming research materials originally produced for analysis into accessible content that engages broader publics with multispecies issues and questions, while taking into account the specificities and confidential nature of ethnographic data where needed.

To foster other modes of engagement with research data, the course follows an innovative methodological cycle: students will first learn how to produce high-quality video and audio field recordings; then be introduced to specific modalities to analyze this data to analyze the embodied, material, sonic, and communicative dimensions of human-other-species relations; and finally, they will learn to repurpose and recycle these analytical materials for public engagement and outreach activities.

a) For video methods, the course will be grounded in Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis (EMCA).
b) For sound methods, the course will include several approaches, such as Deep Listening (Paula Oliveros), sound art (Salomé Voegelin) and sound theory and practice (Gershon).

Overall, the course emphasizes theoretical and methodological approaches that take the relationships between humans and other-than-humans seriously. It fosters discussions and critical dialogue to help students consider what an attention to multimodal and acoustic phenomena can bring to the fore, and the kinds of arguments they can pursue when producing, analyzing, and repurposing video and sound methods in multispecies studies.

The course covers:

• Recording methods:
  • Field recording techniques for high-quality video and audio data capture in multispecies research contexts
• Video analysis methods: 
  • Transcription conventions for multimodal interaction (including Jeffersonian conventions and multimodal adaptations)
  • Multimodal interaction analysis frameworks for examining verbal, visual, gestural, and material elements
  • Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis (EMCA) approaches to multispecies interactions
  • Video analysis software (DOTE, ELAN, MAXQDA, or similar tools)
• Sound analysis methods:
  • Qualitative sound research
  • Deep Listening
  • Bioacoustics
• Repurposing methods: Innovative strategies for transforming analytical video and sound
  materials into accessible public engagement content, including outreach materials,
  exhibitions, and multimedia dissemination, such as montage and audiovisual installations.

Learning outcomes:
After completing the course, participants will have a deep understanding of how to:

1. Produce high-quality video and audio field recordings suitable for multispecies
   research analysis
2. Analyze video data by applying established transcription conventions to multimodal
   video recordings and using video analysis software for systematic coding and
   annotation
3. Analyze sound data by focusing on soundscapes
4. Apply analytical frameworks to make sense of multispecies multimedia recordings
   and be prepared to discuss them alongside other methods in multispecies studies
5. Repurpose research materials by strategically transforming video and sound data
   originally produced for analysis into formats for public engagement and outreach
6. Critically evaluate the (dis)connections between production, analytical, and
   repurposing approaches and their epistemological and ethical implications
7. Theoretically distinguish methods and analytical traditions when working with
   multimedia materials

Programme:

Reading list:

Assessment:

Participants will produce two deliverables:

1. Analytical piece (main research output): 

An analysis of video or audio data (2-3 minutes of material) that demonstrates the ability to apply the methods taught during the course and make a concrete application of the methods introduced. This can take the form of either:

• A video transcript using multimodal transcription conventions
• An acoustic analysis

The analysis should be accompanied by a brief analytical commentary (2-3 pages) that integrates insights, discusses methodological choices and challenges, and outlines potential
contributions to Multispecies studies.

In addition, participants should include a brief statement (200-300 words) that explains their repurposing strategy (see below) and the intended audience for the exhibition object.

2. Exhibition material (repurposed output for public engagement):

At the end of the 3 days, sprints will be organized for students to start working on a small creative object, installation element, or multimedia piece that repurposes elements from the analytical work for public presentation. This could take various directions, such as:

• A video clip
• A soundscape composition
• An infographic combining video stills and acoustic visualizations
• …

The objects will be collected and presented into a collective exhibition showcasing the course outputs at the last night of the event.

Credits:
2.5 ECTS Points

Number of hours the student is expected to use on the course:
Participation: 24 hours (3 days × 8 hours)
Preparation: 18 hours (reading materials and preparing for practical sessions)
Assessment: 20 hours (producing multimodal analytical piece combining video and sound analysis; creating exhibition object for public engagement; production of a short report to be sent no later than 2 weeks after the course)

Total: 62 hours (2.5 ECTS)

Prerequisites:
Participants should have basic familiarity with qualitative research methods and have a basic understanding of multispecies studies. No prior experience with video or sound methods is required as foundational concepts will be introduced during the course. Participants will produce their own data during the course, but if they already have materials, they can bring them and use them on the third day of the course on materials reuse. Participants must bring their own laptop with sufficient storage space for multimedia files and the ability to install analysis software.

Participants:
Maximum number of partipants is 20. If need be, selection will be based on connection with the course objectives and demonstration of interest in audiovisual methods.

Target audience: The course is particularly relevant for PhD students in anthropology, STS, HCI, interaction studies, and multispecies research, though students from related disciplines working with multimedia data are welcome to apply.

The course is open to PhD students from ITU and external institutions.

How to sign up:
Interested participants should register by emailing the organizers at least 1 month before the course starts. Application should include:

• Name and institutional affiliation
• A short description of the research and interest in Multispecies (400 words max)
• Level of familiarity with audiovisual methods