DePaul College of Communication Associate Professor Daniel Makagon has won a national award for a book he co-authored on the use of audio documentary in ethnographic research.

Makagon’s book, “Recording Culture: Audio Documentary and the Ethnographic Experience,” co-authored with Mark Neumann from Northern Arizona University, won the 2009 Ethnography Division’s Best Book Award from the National Communication Association (NCA). He received his award at the NCA’s annual convention in Chicago on Nov. 13.

“It’s a real honor to receive this award, especially given the quality books that have been published in this area,” Makagon said. “We hope that readers will be inspired to explore audio documentary as a creative outlet for fieldwork and work closely with community partners on citizen storytelling efforts.”

“Recording Culture” explores how researchers can use audio documentary to reach academic and popular audiences and provide more opportunities for collaborative work in the pursuit and representation of knowledge and experience. It is the first book to explore audio documentary as a research method.

Judges praised the book for its quality of writing, accessibility, usability, readability, significance and originality.

“The book best fulfilled these criteria and represents the goals of the Ethnography Division, as well as adds specific methodological insights important for all,” said John Warren, chair of the award committee and an associate professor of communication at Southern Illinois University.

Another member of the award committee wrote, “I loved the mix of pedagogy, history and good methods at work here. I think it is a book that should have a wide readership.”

Makagon’s first book, “Where the Ball Drops: Days and Nights in Times Square,” was published by University of Minnesota Press in 2004. His published articles on guerrilla art, cultural disruption, democracy and urban life have appeared in the Journal of Communication Inquiry, Southern Communication Journal, Text & Performance Quarterly, and Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies. He has won publication awards from the Urban Communication Foundation and NCA’s Ethnography and Critical/Cultural Studies divisions. His audio documentaries have been broadcast on public radio and DocumentaryWorks.org.

DePaul’s College of Communication is the third-largest provider of bachelor’s degrees in communication in Illinois and the second-largest provider of master’s degrees in communication. It offers undergraduate programs in communication studies; journalism; media and cinema studies; public relations and advertising; and communication and media. Graduate programs include communication studies; journalism; public relations and advertising; and media and cinema studies.