Advice About Research

I. Research Assignments

Each content group is responsible for two assignments involving the gathering of information from published sources (i.e., research). One of these, the Topic Article assignment, must be handled by the group as a whole. The second, the annotated sourcelist, may be delegated to a single group member if you choose.

The Topic Article should be a reasonably brief piece of serious journalism (under 25 pages or 6,000 words) that helps the class understand the nature and scope of your subject and the issues with which it is involved. This is an article written by someone else, not your group. If you choose a printed article, your group must make enough copies for the class (22, counting me) and distribute these copies one week before your scheduled presentation. If you choose an article on-line, you must give out the URL in advance on paper. Your group is also responsible for leading discussion. All group members should take part.

The sourcelist is part of your contribution to the publication. It should contain at least 30 entries. Annotations should be more than a single sentence but no more than a paragraph. A headnote consisting of a paragraph or two should survey the sourcelist and suggest a reading strategy for people who become interested in the subject. The best source lists will be subdivided into particular areas.

II. Publications and Information Sources

Your sourcelist should include a variety of items: books, periodical articles, on-line documents, and media pieces.

You may not include material from tabloid newspapers, USA Today, or national news magazines (Time, Newsweek, U.S. News). These publications lack depth and rigor.

More serious cultural magazines such as The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, Brill's Content, Vanity Fair, and Wired may be valuable.

If you wish to cite a book or excerpt a chapter as your Topic Article, choose a substantial book or one with a significant argument. Cluetrain Manifesto probably defines the outside limit for these purposes. Avoid flimsy or vapid business books.

Your sourcelist should probably include a section on technical books, for instance offerings from IDG, New Riders, Que, SAMS, or other major publishers. Be sure your annotation assesses the value of these books.

Though I may occasionally bring in clippings from national newspapers, you should avoid them as a general rule unless the story in question covers some highly momentous and time-sensitive development. The New York Times devotes its Monday business section to the information industries, and while its coverage is not detailed it is sometimes revealing. The Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal are preferable to regional papers like the Sun, unless you are concerned with a local story.

Trade publications such as Media Industry News, Interactive Week, and e-Week are generally good sources. Perhaps the best publication about the information industry is The Industry Standard. I have purchased a subscription to the Standard and will keep copies in my office. You may borrow them for use in the building.

Television programs and radio interviews are acceptable if they provide unique content. In many cases, though, broadcast content has much more to do with entertainment than information. Nightly news broadcasts may not be used. Business-focused programs may be acceptable, depending on relevance. Obtain a transcript of any media source you wish to use.

Be similarly careful about Usenet newsgroups and other on-line forums. Limit yourself to postings by individuals who are clearly identified and plausibly expert in their subjects.

Ziff-Davis' ZDNet is a reputable source of on-line information. So is Slashdot. Many of the print sources mentioned above (e.g., Industry Standard, e-Week) have excellent Web sites.

Your sourcelist may include a section on applications and other software. Be sure to provide useful annotations.