Lab Spaces
The ERMeCC Digital Research Lab is housed in the Van der Goot building in two rooms, M8-19 and M8-23. Both rooms offer different ways to conduct research.
M8-19
M8-19 is a meeting room designed for interviews and focus groups from 2 to 7 people. It offers a comfy sofa for one on one talks, two tables to work in groups and a desk with a fixed computer. Long-distance interviews can be conducted at the desk by phone or through internet services such as Skype. Furniture can be moved around to suit a researcher’s needs.
M8-23
M8-23 is a media room. At the end of the room is a living room area with a sofa, chair and coffee table set in front of a typical television set. Also in this room are two desks with powerful computers. In M8-23, researchers can perform, among many other kinds of studies, content analyses, audience research, experiments for media effect studies, and data processing and visualization.
Equipment
The ERMeCC Digital Research Lab offers several kinds of equipment that are often used by researchers.
Three fixed computers are available: one workplace computer in M8-19 primarily used for interviews and two workstations in M8-23 that offer the processing power to perform advanced data gathering, processing and visualization, as well as being powerful enough to play contemporary digital games. Headphones are attached to each of the computers.
Three laptops are available for use both inside and outside the lab. The laptops come with carrying bags and are open for installing custom software on. While the laptops are not meant for processor-heavy applications, they are easy to manage and can be used to work in teams on certain projects.
Other equipment is also available for use. A 42" 3D-capable LED television set is set up in M8-23. A 3D-Blu-ray player allows researchers to display content from DVD, Blu-ray or USB flash drives. Two simple to use camcorders can be used to record video (tripods are included), and four voice recorders allow researchers to record interviews and can attach directly to the phones in the office through custom connectors. The lab also offers physiological measurements of skin conductance, heart rate and physical movement through the E4 sensor wristband.
The equipment inventory will grow as the lab becomes more complete. If you have a suggestion for equipment that would complement the lab’s research methods, please let us know! Or apply for a micro-grant.
To reserve the lab, please contact Shangwei Wu and Anouk Mols via ermecclab@eshcc.eur.nl