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.