Post 6: Running out of Time

Well, the last few days have been absolutely nothing less than a roller coaster. It seems that test and midterms, at least for myself, have become only a mere two weeks away. Life is going by very fast, almost too fast. However, I still have time to get my blog up and posted along with fine tuning my annotated bibliography. The last few times in class we have been working on finding, acquiring, and researching materials for our paper. We have discussed and gone through task to help us understand the difference between all of the available resources at our disposal. Just last class we had an assignment designed to help us figure out reliable websites from those that are not as monitored. Most anyone nowadays can create and host a website. With that being said, not all websites hosted by private citizens or companies are terrible. It is crucial to understand that just because something is said or posted on a website does not make it factual. A critical component to research is that the information your getting is factually true. The worst mistake to make in a research paper is to sully your work by having erroneous evidence to support your claims. I digress now, I was starting to ramble on a little bit. Anyhow, I just finished reading chapter 9 and its contents. It was almost like a refresher for our adventure at the library. When we are at the library we can search for materials by author, title, keyword, subject, call number, or any combination of them. When it comes to materials found in databases we have different options available to us. My best advice for anyone is to find the best database for you topic. Something we did not cover in the library was boolean searches. It is basically a fancy name for searching with phrases and words but there is a twist. You can specify where in the articles your phrases show up. For example you could choose to find words before or after the topic word. Anyways I got some work to do for my bibliography..till next time

Post 5 Chapter 8 and Library Prep

Well, we all know this week has been the week of the blizzard. The New England states and Midwest got hit with a snow storm that I have never seen! Regardless, are classes continued here at BSU and with that I have a new blog to address. So far this week in class we have been covering more MLA citation rules and bibliography work. We are supposed to go visit the library on Thursday. I have finally chosen and narrowed my broad topic of Technology and its effects on Society to something a little more manageable. Instead I am focusing my efforts of research on the effects of computers and the internet on my generation. I will still hopefully be able to include some information on other segments of the population so that I can give a view of where we are in the United States as a whole. I love this topic and feel that every bit of research I do will help to reveal more about the growing disparity between those connected and those unconnected. Also I read chapter 8 and while it was a brief chapter it still had a lot to offer at this point in the writing process. In a summary it was about how you can identify relevant sources, best search tools, and research methods. It talked about how to look at the scope of your issue as well as the time line. Obviously at first my topic was wide in scope but now it has managed to shrink a little. The time line for my topic is very much current and I am sure I can find some recent articles that are pertinent. Also it mentioned to consider the nature of your topic. For me that means knowing that my topic is not highly publicized but still gets some exposure about specific areas within it. I also need to address what must be learned about my issue so that I can write with the best of knowledge. The book also covers the best search tools and research methods. I know that I can utilize a lot of electronic searches at the library. I can access journals and subscriptions for free and use the card cat to find any hard bound books I need. Besides electronic tools I have a vast array of print ones. I could also conduct my own independent research to report. I could possibly come out with a survey of questions that I could get a group of 50 or so people to take. That would be a bit of work but in the end it could prove fruitful.

A Dollar Short: Blog #4 Narrow Topic

Today's society has become integrated into technology. We have become a people of constant connection. Business men and women buried in their Blackberry phones, checking their e-mail, texting, and making a reminder not to miss the rescheduled meeting. Teenagers in high school hall ways texting till their fingers are numb. It is not just cell phones either. Computers are also a hugely big part of what has become an everyday part of the average American. We use our computer's to do endless tasks for us. We can connect with people we have never met, reconnect with lost friends, look for jobs, looking for houses, finding a new car, or even more. The possibilities are endless with technology and we will continue to push the boundaries of what we can achieve. The key thread that links the likes of mobile technologies like cell phones with the stationary technologies like desktop computers is the internet. It is the one invention that has changed the way we communicate on a fundamental level.
The reading I have been doing in the book has been a labor of love. Well, maybe not love, but of commitment. It is interesting but I still would prefer to read a novel of my choosing than a textbook for a course. Anyways, it was talking mostly about the different forms and ways that you can plagiarize. It is important to always be aware of what you are using and how you are using it. Accidental plagiarism is still plagiarism and is looked down upon in the writing community. Make sure to quote what you are wanting to quote, summarize the main points in your source, and always make sure to use proper citation.

Writing Center ohhh my:Blog #3

Last week in class we went to the writing center at Robert Bell. It is a valuable resource to have when you need some extra help on a paper for any class. You can schedule an appointment online so that it can be worked into your schedule and not just forced into a time slot. It is even possible to meet with the same people that have always helped you. It was nice to know that you could get some personal one on one time with a peer that is focused on helping you as much as possible. I will probably try and get an appointment before our final draft is due for the topic proposal assignment. On that note I am getting closer to deciding about how I want to pursue my topic. I believe I want to examine further the effects of social technologies on my generation. I think it would also be interesting to take a look at younger and older generations to bring to light some differences or similarities between them all.