Introduction and a little about me

Hello everyone.

            My name is Daniel Calabretta. I am a second year professional writing major and political science minor. I am looking to get into the periodical stream come next year with the prospects of getting into a career in journalism. I am currently writing for Excalibur in the News Department and looking to start up a blog of my own very soon.               

What do you want to learn about research? 

I would like to know what categorizes as good research versus mediocre research, and how to represent both or all sides of a debate without giving unnecessary credibility to the uninformed and misguided side.  I would also want to know what is the most effective and productive way to conduct research and to ensure that all credible sources are supported by factual evidence and/or have been peer reviewed.

What subjects/fields/disciplines are you interested in studying? 

The subjects that I am interested in exploring are sports, politics, and science. For sports related topics, I would examine the controversial issues such as player burnout, concussions, the use of performance enhancing substances and, lastly, why we glorify athletes but ignore them when they are injured or when their careers have ended. For topics related to politics, I am interested in discussions about the allocation of funding from every level of the government for projects that may go against their party platform, but which is still necessary for democracy to be carried out or to achieve societal objectives. I am also intrigued by the manner in which politics plays a role in the decision of allowing particular advertising to be aired or posted on billboards and buses as well as the extent of the government’s responsibility for the safety of the population and how much privacy they are allowed to interfere with or have intercepted. For science-related topics, I would be interested in exploring the reasons as to why science-education and promotion have taken a back-seat to business, sports and entertainment when technology, which all these fields rely on, is created through science. Why is there not more recognition and appreciation of scientists in Canada? What have the results of a school system been that predominantly emphasizes language and the arts, but not scientific knowledge? How can governments threaten scientists with losing their funding just because their research shows flaws or oversights that need to be addressed but which may not be politically attractive to those who are governing?

Have you ever used information management software like RefWorks or Zotero? 

No, I have not used information management software such as RefWorks or Zotero. I have used traditional on-line search engine vehicles available in databases such as JStor, Ebsco, and ProQuest. These databases serve as instrumental and highly useful resources for academic papers.

           

Everyone has research experience. Reflect on some of the information you seek for school, work, a hobby, or in social contexts. 

I research all the time. From the mundane searches, such as researching directions from Google maps, to a restaurant, theater event, or buying vacations online, I have also used research to explore new hobbies, how to play specific chords of a song, set-up instructional videos, cooking, and troubleshooting for my computer.

Do you have any experience with radio or podcasting? Are you feeling intimidated by and/or excited about the task of creating a short podcast episode? 

While I do not have experience with radio or podcasting, I am concerned about how to maintain my tone and heighten the interest of the listener for the duration of the podcast. I am going to listen to different podcasts to learn how to present the content in a way that covers a wide-range of topics but that does not confuse the reader.

Review the list of podcast shows and topics. Which podcast shows and topics are you considering for the course project? Explain why. 

            There are two podcasts on the list that I find compelling. I will be looking to emulate one of the two. On the Media as well as Freakonomics are the ones I have narrowed it down to:

On the media- This particular podcast really intrigues me as the media has such a significant influence in our lives.  Moreover, also knowing how people’s views and political beliefs are portrayed in the media is quite appealing. As an individual who is looking to pursue a career in journalism, I find this podcast interesting as it discusses the ethics of journalism and what is and is not fair.

           

Freakonimics- I am extremely interested in the economics of life from the perspective of individual decisions to group decisions made by societies or governments. This podcast is engaging as it activates the skeptic in all of us and allows the individual to critically analyze controversial topics relating to a vast array of topics.