Week 7?
So our third paper is a Research Paper. I don’t think I am going to do a happy dance, but I am not in tears either. Actually I think I am going to enjoy this particular paper. I am finally getting into the groove of this class and I am determined to have a little fun with this assignment.
First of all, there are so many topics that interest me. I just don’t know where to begin. Somehow I have to narrow my choices down to something that will make an interesting paper. Or better still, a paper that won’t put readers to sleep.
So what do I do about this dilemma? Should I write about something scholarly like the “Changing the scope of secondary education in America,” or something environmentally friendly like, “How to go green in 90 days or less?”
Oh boy! So many topics and so little time.
Maybe the “6 Steps to Identifying Issues” might shed some light on this subject for me. Step #1 is “Draw on your personal experience.” Okay, I enjoy making the cyber world a prettier place (in other words, I’m a web designer). Step #2 is “Identify what is open to dispute.” Dispute is definitely apart of the cyber world. I guess I can incorporate that into my paper. Step #3 is “Resist binary thinking.” Huh?? Just kidding, I can be objective when necessary. Step #4 is “Build on and extend the ideas of others.” Hmm…this might be something I really sink my teeth into. Step #5 is “Read to discover a writer’s frame.” Okay, the brain cells are really getting a workout now. Step #6 is “Consider the constraints of the situation.” My middle name is constraint (well, actually its Renee, but that name doesn’t exactly fit in with this subject).
So there you have it. 6 Steps to identifying Issues. Wow! All this talk about identifying issues has helped me to come up with a topic. I am going to write about the cyber world. Something exciting in the cyber world – like blogs. Not just any blogs, but beautiful designed blogs. That’s right I am going to write about websites designed by people like me. Web designers who want to make the Internet a more beautiful place.
I will examine the Picassos of the Internet landscape. Some of the questions I will attempt to answer are, “Do visually appealing websites garner more hits? Are visitors more inclined to frequent beautifully designed websites? What are some current design trends in web design? Are beautiful websites totally functional? I will develop more questions as I move along.
The main thing I want to do now is work on my proposal and also start the research process. I plan to use textbooks and online resources to support my thesis, which at this point is still a work in progress. Off the top of my head, my topic sentence as question is “Is the Internet turning into a Work of Art?” The audience I plan to speak to is — surprise! Web designers of course.
But then again, that may change. Until I form my thesis, I won’t firmly commit to anything just yet.
