Just over a week ago, I helped to lead a conversation about blogging for research in the monthly Sheffield iSchool researchers informal discussion meeting. You can read about some of the issues we talked about on the iSchool researchers blog. My contribution followed a fascinating talk about the Warburg Institute library - I recommend having a look at the post about that, too.
Since then, I've been thinking about how this blog is developing and how I could improve it. A comment on a previous post suggested that more pictures would help and I'll certainly try to add some in future. I think I still have work to do clarifying the topic - I'll return to that subject again as my ideas develop. I also hope to write more about the reading I'm doing (articles, books and reports etc). However, I also thought this might be a good time to ask you if there's anything else which you think the blog could benefit from. Any comments or suggestions would be very welcome!
I totally agree that I, as a reader, need further information of your definition - (perhaps even a sketch!) of your theme.
ReplyDeleteCan I recommend Shelfari / LibraryThing as a place to share your reading. That way you have a connector with the blog, you can help catalogue/classify further readings not yet on these sites, and also write your reviews there. Just an idea. (Of course, I prefer the former as it's more visual!)
I loved the Warburg's maps - with the bees wandering around the pages!
Lastly - ideas. How about telling us something about the research you are doing into an SE itself, that way we get some idea of you putting ideas into practice/writing?
Norman A Nonymouse.
Thanks for your suggestions. I'm trying to think of a way to depict my theme in a diagram, but have to admit to not being very good at coming up with visual representations of ideas. But watch this space over the next few weeks and I'll see what I can do!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for the Shelfari link (this is new to me) - it's a good idea! It also reminded me about how LibraryThing has been used to build core collections - with librarians in a wide range of organisations sharing recommendations about key texts for specialist subject areas.
Good point about the actual research - I don't think I've blogged at all about the research methods I hope to use: I'll add a post on this soon (I'm currently seeking ethics approval for the methods I hope to use, so what I say at this stage may change significantly...).
I liked the maps too!