Blog 18: Research Proposal

1.      Title Page - Working Title, Your Name, and Class information: ENGL 202, time, Spring 2009.

·         Keeping it safe when communicating online; Kayla Becker; English 202; November 10; Spring 2009

2.      Abstract - Overview of the project, specifying: general topic and specific research question. This should summarize what the reader will learn and summarize why it is worth knowing overall (50-100 words).

Establish currency, importance, or relevance of the general issue

·         Some of the social networks out there are not as private or safe as you may think. There are ways of accessing things that you have posted in your profile by people you don't even know. And you think you are safe by using this social site.

Move towards specific, narrower case or example -- with a hint of why this is a good choice.

·         The social networks out there like facebook, MySpace, and twitter can be viewed by so many people you don't even know. You may think that your profile is private but I may not be.

Orient reader towards the specific case; everything you wanted to know in 10 words.

·         Megan Meier case killed herself over a boy that was made up.

Names or lays out key elements of the topic for this study (leaves out others)

·         How mysterious online profiles can be. That you can pretty much make up anyone or be anyone.

Articulates a key question

·         What can be done to help people that are using online profiles feel safer and not be fooled by people who are using fake identities; will changing what can be put onto these social sites makes the users not want to keep using?

Preview the major steps towards answering the question.

·         Some of the cases where someone was physically hurt by someone that was using a public profile and communicating with them.

·         What the networks can do to make their users feel safer.

·         Making the online profiles longer so that people that are just making someone up won't want to take the time to fill it out.

·         Find out how other people feel about this situation. People that have been affected by using online profiles and been hurt and people that just have an online profile and if they feel safe or think they are at risk for something like this to happen to them.

This is the answer.

·         To be safe when using these sites and what you post to them.

·         To know who your friends are on these sites and not to just let some random person be able to access your account.

Convey the importance or significance of what we've learned. (Or what it leads to).

·         That having an online profile can be a good thing but there are some things to look out for when using one of these sites.

3.      Introduction - This is the beginning of your full draft. It prepares a reader for your study by: identifying the topic, relevant conversation(s), and research question. It lays the foundation for the research question in terms of: your interest, OR its importance, OR relation to ongoing conversations. The introduction also addresses how your purpose relates to the theme of the digital life. (2-3 paragraphs).

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4.      Fieldwork Statement - Propose the specific activity you will pursue as your primary research. Make clear what information you seek, from whom, and how you will obtain it. The purpose and the "nuts & bolts" should be clear (ex. for a survey, detail how it will be administered, to whom, and samples of the questions).

·         What can we do with fieldwork?

-          You can survey, interview, observe different things, or get documents. I think for my topic of online social networks and there advantages and disadvantages to safety I would use a survey.

 

Advantages?

-          Using a survey I think would let me get different peoples points of view that are for or against social networks and their privacy settings.

 

Practical considerations?

-          How different people's views will be. With the different age groups I think it will differ in opinion a lot. The younger generation I think will be for the social networks not having safety locks or as much privacy! But the older generations that have children will want privacy blocks so that they can feel that their children are safe when using the sites. But will the social networks want the safety blocks because will it push the younger generations that are using them away.

 

How to integrate fieldwork and secondary sources?

• confirm an established point

-that putting safety blocks on social networks might make the users not want to use anymore.

5.      Source Review / Conversations - Briefly overviews "key ideas and information in the sources you've collected so far." This is not your bibliography. Rather give a picture of the kinds/groups of resources you intend to work with. You should organize it in terms of conversations perspectives, disciplines or areas of knowledge, NOT source types such as books, articles, websites, etc. Draw on both your conversation brainstorming AND your individual source evaluations. Use the guidelines for evaluating sources to help make the appropriateness or contribution of each type to your RQ evident.

·         Describe your topic: My topic deals with social networks and the advantages and disadvantages of having a public profile, some of the consequences and benefits that come with having a profile. If there should we be more locks on these sites. Also what would happen to the users if the sites became more controlled; would they like it or stop using the site? Maybe even going into the gaming sites that you can communicate with people while playing the game.

What are some of the most interesting conversations taking place surrounding this topic?: Are profiles to public, or are having public profiles and your information online the cause of sexual and virtual abuse. What other people besides me think about this topic and the boundaries that should or should not be enforced.

Can you imagine any relevant conversations you have missed?: Just adding other people's opinions on the safeties of having a social profile or social gaming and just other outlooks on the topic not just all the negative things.

If you could get representatives of just two groups into a room, what pair would make for the most interesting matchup?: People from the site facebook and MySpace and someone's parents or someone who has dealt with sexual and virtual harassment.

Of these, which one has the fewest limitations for a student researcher like myself (ex. Theoretical Physics is fascinating but hard to break into)?: I think that finding information on someone that has actually been virtually raped or harassed, because the topic isn't very big in the news and wouldn't get as much recognition as if someone was literally raped.

Of these, which best lend themselves to first-hand research?: I would think that finding different people's outlooks on the topic.

Of these, which best lend themselves to discussion in terms of the assignment theme--digital culture-- exposing the unfamiliar or surprising dimensions?: The virtual rape idea and how public profiles are and what you put onto them for almost everyone to see.

Based on these answers, the most relevant conversations are: Virtual Rape and everything that goes along with it like, it leading to actual rape some people that it happened too.

Based on the answers above, an interesting, relevant research question would be: People's thoughts on this topic and what can be done to help keep users safer. And if sites are made safer will people keep using it when they feel like the site is too controlled.

6.      Working Bibliography - Conclude with an MLA-format list of sources that you have uncovered thus far and intend to incorporate into your final paper. Your final bibliography will list sources alphabetically by author. But for research proposal please GROUP THEM into kinds of information (history, personal stories, academic studies, etc.) in a way that corresponds with the section above.

·         Chayko, Mary. Portable communities: the social dynamics of online and mobile connectedness. Albany; SUNY Press 2008

·         Social networking sites [electronic resource] : safety tips for tweens and teens. Washington D.C.; Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection Division of Consumer and Business Educations 2006

·         United States. Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2008 or the KIDS Act of 2008. Washington D.C.; U.S. G.P.O 2008

·         Winder, Davey. Being virtual: who you really are online. Chichester, England; Hoboken NJ: Wiley 2008

·         Higgins Jackson Kelly. Experts: Security Flaws Vary on Social Networking Sites. Dark Reading 2007. http://www.darkreading.com/security/app-security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208804775

·         Social Networking and Its Flaws - Make Sure You Are Safe. http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/social-networking-and-its-flaws-make-sure-you-are-safe-1147013.html