Introductions

Hello, my name is Alyssia Pacheco and I am in my second year of the Professional Writing degree program, and I hope to one day work doing magazine writing. Learning about research will be more than useful throughout my years as a student, as I have many more essays and projects to complete, which may very well require me to research a certain topic.
I often wonder what exactly makes a source’s information reliable and useful, versus what doesn’t. I find that determining this and actually find those reliable sources to be the hardest part of the research process- because that is exactly what it is. Research is a process, often consisting of several steps. It isn’t just that one simple step of pulling a book off the shelf, but rather entails much more than this.

I have always been very interested in and fascinated by media studies. I thoroughly enjoyed a media studies class I took in high school. I hope to learn more about the media as I become more familiar with research. I particularly enjoy working with advertising. Anything from analyzing an ad, to creating my own, is very exciting to me.
I am not familiar with the information management software of RefWorks or Zotero, but am open and willing to learn about these as they could be useful tools in the research process.

I haven’t done an extensive amount of research in my university years as I have yet to write my first research paper. I do however research various things on a daily basis. I consider myself to be a very curious being and thus, am always willing to learn and know things. Whenever I come across a word with an unfamiliar meaning, I look it up instantly, on my phone. I read extensively online to educate myself on mental health, more specifically, anxiety disorders. I am curious about this because my twin sister suffers from a very serious case of social anxiety which restricts her from doing many things, such as working a job, going to school and just being in a public atmosphere. I want to know why this is her reality, as I am a firm believer in knowledge being power. The more we know, the more we can do in our lives and overcome the hurdles. This is why I often enjoy researching. These are all considered forms of research since I am going beyond my own knowledge to find information on a certain topic or idea.

I don’t have any experience at all with radio or podcasting, but am definitely excited to get started on my podcast and get familiar with making one. This will be just one more things to learn that I can scratch off my list! I am feeling intimidated by creating the podcast only because I tend to not be the very computer-savvy and am worried I will have trouble with the recording aspect of this project.

I would definitely consider the Under the Influence topic since the show is based on various aspects of the media such as advertising, which I really do enjoy, as I have mentioned before. On the Media caught my eye right away as well, simply by its title. As I read about what the show is focused in, I came to realize I might be interested in it as well. Recent news stories are always informative and fun to find out about, so I assume I would enjoy this one.

Bianca Ricci, W14, introductions

Hi I'm Bianca, what I hope to learn about research is how to research efficiently.

I am interested in learning more about grammar and proofreading as my goal is to either become a book editor or magazine editor. I have never used any information management software but I am interested in finding out more about it. I spend a lot of time researching for my Youtube channel, trying to find the most efficient way of doing things. I also research for my future career, all possible options and positions and their requirements, I usually use google as my main search engine, while for school I use google scholar.  I have no experience with either, but I do have experience doing voice overs for my Youtube channel. I am really interested in grammar girl because I love grammar and editing and proof reading is what I want to do as my future profession. I think that grammar points are really fun to learn about and teach others about too. 

Haris Akbar - W14 - Introductions

Hello there, as my post calls me, I'm Haris Akbar. I'm a 2nd year student pursuing a major in English & Professional Writing. A little bit about myself; I like to read (books, articles, and that sort, but you could even say non-text things as well), cook, observe, and ponder. My interests are not specific, as I'm actually quite interested in nearly everything I come across (even the most obvious things tend to have something interesting behind their shell of obviousness). With that said, pretty much all information interests me, whether it be in language, philosophy, grammar, science, etc. Though of course it goes without saying that I'm no expert at any of these; I'm simply someone who loves to learn as much as I can about things.

What I want to learn about research is a question I'd like to tackle in an indirect way here; it's a little obvious that in these times we're in an information age. There's information about many, many things, and tons of it. This is potentially one of the greatest resources for understanding, but the biggest obstacle in that way is learning how to utilize information, and that concerns gathering/finding information, thinking about what kind of information it is, how they affect themselves and other bits of information, seeing what conclusions could be made from all that, and all sorts of related procedures. So bluntly put, I'd like to seek understanding of things, and I need to do that correctly.

I'm afraid I haven't even heard of RefWorks until very recently; Zotero I've heard of quite recently. I have little experience with these. However, if it counts, I do have software like OneNote (I hear Evernote is quite a good alternative, though) which very easily allow for research-related work. I can keep the sources I use, plot information the way I want, and type what I want much like a word processor.

As for reflections on information I seek within my daily life, with what I've said in my second paragraph, it goes without saying that I've reflected on information and its utilization, as well as understanding in general, and this came to me as a response to making sense of the many (kinds of) things I tend to read.

I have very little experience with radios/podcasting in general. I occasionally listen to the radio and even more rarely than that, I've listened to podcasts. The idea that I will have to create a short podcast episode both intimidates me and excites me, and I feel this way with any obstacle in the way of a learning objective; when you see a large rock in the way that you have to climb, you know that it'll take effort but you also know that you have to get through it.

I have to admit, I delayed this post because I'm still expecting a response to a podcast suggestion I've sent. However, if that eventually doesn't work, it's rather hard to say which podcast show/topic I'll be checking out. Granted, they're all interesting to me, and I don't have any significant particular leaning towards any one of them. On the Media seems interesting, as not only does it concern something part of daily life like the news, but there's a bigger picture worth learning about; things like the idea of authentication, its importance and how to figure it out, as well as ethics, and that sort. My impending suggestion was, though, a podcast on the history of philosophy (without any gaps); I've discovered it recently and it seems like an invaluable gem.

First Post- Introduction

Hi, my name is Anastassia and I am in my second year of professional writing. My interests and hobbies encompass a vast variety of all fields, and my expertise mainly consists of general knowledge on many different subjects and topics. Basically, I have no one specific interest. Rather, anything that sparks my curiosity, like the artificial heart that Parisian medics have developed or the political controversy surrounding Ukraine’s possible joining of the U.N are topics I hear about and, out of personal interest, research. 

I have never used information management software’s, just basic search engines like Google chrome to research secondary information sources. I had a paper due in my Russian culture class on Catherine the Great and the Pugachov rebellion against her installment of serfdom and a specific issue I faced while researching was having to tell whether a website is a good, legitimate, qualified source to extract info from. 

Podcasting is definitely intimidating to me as it involves both research and technology (neither being my strong point)…I didn't even know what a podcast was until the first lecture of this class…but it doesn't seem too difficult in the sense that, if I pick the right topic I know I can spin it off as appealing to the audience which is the basic intention of a writer when he puts out material. However, I sense the actual online construction of the podcast will be the death of me… yet a new experience which I may fall in love with. Who knows!

For my podcast project I am thinking of going with either the Everyday Einstein, 99% Invisible, or Manager Tools topics because these are areas of particular interest to me. It is stimulating to hear what people think of the medical advances we have made to this day- whether we are being too excessive or not. Architecture and the meaning and history behind it is something I have never really pondered so this could be an opportunity for something new, and dealing with managers at work is something any former employee can go on a rant about; discussing experiences, telling stories, and sharing tips.  

If anyone has any questions please comment and stay in touch for help purposes or anything else! J

-Anastassia Vitkovitsky

A Little About Myself

My name is Arron Burnett and I am very excited to begin this course.  My goal is to grow as a writer by further developing my skills as a researcher.  I am currently enrolled in the Social Work program completing the last stages of my second year.

I registered into this course mainly for personal reasons that goes way back to my teenage years.  In my travels, back then It was not unusual to find a pocket size notebook in one of my pockets.  At any given moment that notebook would contain the words of my unspoken thoughts.  I wrote about personal relationships, philosophical thoughts and various insights.  Now that I am older and with much more responsibilities than I had in my adolescent years I do not get the opportunity to write as much as I would like but the interest for writing has never left me.   So when I saw this course I thought it would be a great opportunity to acquire professional methods for research and begin to enhance my personal skills as a writer.

I am taking this course to apply to my general education requirements and to also fulfilled my personal interest in becoming a more polished writer.  I want to apply these skills in my present and future academic studies.

I have not yet been exposed personally to information management softwares such as RefWorks or Zotero, although I look forward to the challenge of becoming aquatinted with these tools.  My hope is that by participating in this course I will gain the required research skills, so whether academically, professionally or personally, all aspects of my writing pursuits will be benefited.

Introductions

Hola amigos!

My name is Stephanie Kovacs, although I do prefer being called Steph!I am a second year student here at York University in the Professional Writing program with hopes of completion within the next year to move onto the joint program with Seneca so I may begin my education in broadcasting! 

Seeing as I am currently extremely interested in sports broadcasting, research into aspects such as teams, up and coming players, players histories and records will be imminent to my success as a respectable broadcaster, so I definitely need to improve my research skills. I am hoping to learn how to organize my ideas so I know what information I need to be looking for, how to utilize all tools (internet, books, articles etc.) to my full advantage and how to fully incorporate the right pieces of information into what I am discussing. As previously mentioned, I am extremely interested in sports broadcasting, however entertainment also strikes my fancy. I am also interested in the field of Health Studies and researching and reporting on health crisis’ occurring in Canada’s very own backyard.

I have zero experience using either RefWorks or Zotero. Perhaps that is why my research skills are so limited. To be completely honest,  I have only done one research essay so far in University and was never asked to complete one in high school. When I was asked to write a research essay in the Fall term, I was extremely lost on knowing what kind of information I should have been looking for and how to find it. I am hoping that this class will prepare me better for not only my future career, but my future essays!

One thing I have researched quite a bit, are clean eating recipes and physical fitness exercises. I am always looking up new recipes to try, and I spend a great deal of time making sure that they are nutritious and cost effective. I am also very interested in working out and staying fit, and I am always on Instagram, Twitter and fitness blogs looking for different exercises and innovative ways to use gym equipment. It never feels like work, and I always feel satisfied when I find new and useful information or recipes.

I am also brand new to radio and podcasting, however I am not feeling intimidated at all! If my future includes a start in radio, I would be more than thrilled! Any and all experience will be helpful to arriving at my fink destination, and I am so excited to take part in the podcast. I think I am most interested in ‘On the Media’ as my topic for my podcast. I plan on broadcasting on the current and popular news in the future so I could really use this opportunity to try my hand at reporting on a news story that is making big headlines in North America currently.

I had no idea what this course was about when I signed up, only that it was a requirement for my major, and I must say, that after only one class, I am very excited about everything we will be doing! I am looking forward to see how the rest of the term unravels! 

So this is the part where I say: Hello! My name is...

...Celeste Dube, and I'm on my second year of my undergraduate degree in English and Professional Writing, in the Book Stream. My overall interest in my studies is to focus on the editing and production process in literature, and work towards being involved in publishing books, likely focusing either on stylistic or structural editing. To help get experience towards these ends, I've been volunteering with the York U-based literature and arts journal Existere for the past year and a half in several different capacities. I've also started a blog of my own to make my attempt at being involved (ish) in social media, but the jury's still out on how that's going.

In research, with the overwhelming amount of information at our fingertips on a daily basis, I would like to learn effective ways of searching out information I actually want from it all, and I would like to learn more concrete methods of determining which sources are actually reliable and appropriate for any given use. In a nutshell, whether it's my own writing or if I am responsible for someone else's, I want to be confident that the information contained in it is truly as credible as it should be.

I've never heard of Zotero, but (if I'm thinking of the right program) I've used RefWorks several times over the last couple of years, and have a small working knowledge of it, and remember it being pretty useful in the process of sorting scholarly articles for essays whenever I could find an article online in York U's databases.

Largely, my research experience for school-related inquiries has all been conducted through links to online databases through the Scott Library system or book searches in person. On personal matters (for writing, or plain old curiosity's sake), my research has been Google searches, relying largely on hits from Wikipedia (I know, I know - shame on me), as well as The Globe and Mail, CBC, CTV and BBC site updates and archives. Lately as well, whenever there's a broad topic I want to learn about, I've started streaming documentaries whenever I come across one from a reputable-sounding source (though again, I'd like to narrow down the definition of "reputable" over the course of this semester).

When it comes to podcasting, I have even less experience with it than I do blogging, which is to say I have no experience whatsoever, not in hearing about them, not in listening to them, and needless to say not in making one myself. As for the prospect of making one, I'm not necessarily intimidated, but I couldn't say I'm excited to do it either; I know nothing about recording or sound editing, my recorded voice is awful (I sound like I have a permanent cold), and I've never enjoyed having to do presentations, always preferring being creative on paper rather than out loud. From the description in class though, it basically sounds like a radio show, just put in the online format, so it seems interesting. And as a further silver lining, recording and posting it means no in-person presentation jitters (aside from the in-class pitch), so all in all... I'm tentatively optimistic about how this'll turn out.

Last but not least, after looking at the list of podcast-emulation possibilities, I'm most interested in doing Spark, Everyday Einstein or Stuff You Missed in History Class. I love the idea of dissecting an innovation or historical event and taking a look at what it meant, means or will mean in the scope of society as a whole. Writing has me addicted to getting to tell a good story, and I feel like with any of these three topics, the mix of narrative and social relevancy could allow for a really interesting finished product.

Mari Satoh, W14, Introductions

Hello everyone,

My name is Mari Satoh and I am a third year professional writing student at York University, currently enrolled in the institutional stream. I am also working on a minor in political science to obtain a background in politics as I am interested in writing news at some point in the future.  

In terms of researching, I would like to learn how to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of a source. While some sources may be biased or unethical, others may be beneficial to attain an understanding of certain concepts.

Furthermore, I would like to learn how one can type in the right search entries to find what they are looking for on the internet. I am interested in learning how to manipulate the results of the search by altering what I input into the search bar.

As of right now, I do not have a prior experience with radio or podcasting. Though the thought of creating my own short podcast episode intimidates me, I am also excited to see what the end product will look like. It is something new that I have yet to try, so I feel as if it would be a challenge that would not be in my normal comfort zone. Thus, I believe that I would gain the most amount of experience from trying something that I have not tried in the past.

The subjects I am interested in exploring are music, sports and theatre. Since I was young, I have always had a passion for different types of music from different eras and would love to explore artists, new and old. I enjoy checking out local rock cafes and country bars, and thoroughly appreciate learning about these new locations and crowds that they attract. Sports has always been a huge part of my life as I follow many on a regular basis, and would one day love to become a sports journalist if given the opportunity. Lastly, theatre would be a subject of interest for me as I enjoy watching operas and musicals. 

INTRODUCTIONS

Hello, my name is Oghogho Lila Eka and I am currently in my second year, studying Health Informatics. The majority of my work in university so far has involved research, but most of the time I feel like I am not doing it properly. That's why I decided to take this course; I want to learn the most efficient ways to conduct research.

I have always been interested in creative writing, even though I chose not to pursue it as a career, it is still something I love to do and I would love to be able to use the knowledge I gain from this course in anything I write from now on. The only information management software I have ever used is Ref-works Honestly, it did not work very well for me at first, but I did learn to use it properly after a while. 

Last year for one of my classes, I had to do some research on the most recent technological breakthroughs in medicine, and I remember feeling completely overwhelmed because of the amount of information I got. It took me a while to sort everything and actually write my report. Hopefully, after this class, I won't face problems like that anymore. I have no experience at all with radio or pod-casting so I am feeling a bit intimidated by the assignment, but I'm also excited to try something new.

For the course project, I am considering just one of the podcasts right now, which is on the media. There were several stories and scandals that were reported by the media all over the world late last year, I would like to analyse at least one of them very carefully and see what interesting details I can uncover. I look forward to participating in this course and getting a very good grade.

Greetings all,

            I am Lana; I enjoy copying quotes down on sticky notes, papers, calendars, and skin. In between the time that I am not sleeping, reading, or writing you will find me watching Slam Poetry, X Factor auditions, or TV shows. I major in Professional Writing and plan on entering the book stream because I find writing about people— creating characters— enjoyable.

          I am not too sure what I want to learn about research because I have been taught how to research academically and how to research for day to day knowledge at a young age. During my experience of academic research, I have and sometimes still, experience frustrations at a lack of finding a specific piece of information. Research becomes quiet tedious after hours of highlighting books, taking notes, going through Google searches, using Google scholar, and Refworks (I haven’t used Zotero before) to only finding an insufficient amount of information to back up an argument. At this point, I try to change key words in my search bar or I look at different sources. When that doesn't work I either change the subject of my paper or change the argument. I find that changing the argument to fit the information that I have already found can be useful and I end up not having wasted any time. On the other hand, my day to day research is a lot easier because I do not need to argue a point or site a source and Google tends to have most of the information I need.

My podcasting or radio experience is a total of nothing, unless listening to the radio counts. I do feel intimidated to do an episode partly because my relationship with technology is like my relationship with math; absolutely horrendous. I don’t understand some aspects of technology and the idea of recording my voice and having others listening to it isn’t my idea of fun. Other then technical issues, all I can do is use my research experience to help assist me in creating the podcast episode. In fact, I have Under the Influence and Lexicon Valley as potential topics. Under the Influence seems to be interesting because I love analyzing material. I blame it on my constant habit of close reading novels to find the implied meaning of a story. Although, analyzing advertisements might be a little different but I think I can make it work because I have looked at advertisements and their effects on culture in the past. I also like Lexicon Valley because of the sole reason that I love the way words sounds. I also believe that words can influence and change a culture so that would be fun to look more into. Other then that, I am excited to see what new knowledge and experiences I will gain from this class.

Adelina Ruffolo, W14, Introdutions

Hello,

My name is Adelina Ruffolo. I am currently in my third year at York University, majoring in Psychology and Professional Writing (Institutional Stream). I enjoy reading, watching movies, listening to music and writing. I am a book fanatic and I hope to one day own a gigantic library filled with novels. I love writing non-fiction because I feel some of the best stories come from our own experiences. I chose to study both Psychology and Professional Writing because I think possessing the skills that come from learning these two topics are extremely helpful. With writing it is always beneficial to know your audience and what they may or may not be thinking. Psychology is helpful in understanding the way individuals think and form opinions. I just started reading The Iliad and hope to finish it before school officially re-takes over my life with assignments and readings. I like the colour purple, soccer, The Beatles and Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favourite movies of all time). I hope to one day work in communications or in public relations.

I feel that research is an important concept in both writing and psychology. When writing a piece of work it is important to get as much information as possible on your topic. In order to get accurate and detailed information we must do research. When doing research it is important to know how to properly cite and give credit to sources. What do I want to learn about research? Well I guess I would want to gain as much knowledge as I can about the topic. It is never a bad thing to learn something new and gain new skills that are essential in the everyday world. I would want to learn new ways to research topics in the writing field, as I only have some experience with research in psychology.

I have never used any information software, the extent of my experience with research engines are PsychInfo and WebScience. In my time at York, I have taken two courses that dealt specifically with research (Introduction to Research Methods and Intermediate Research Methods). In the latter course I had to come up with a research study and part of the assignment was providing a Literary Review, this required a great deal of research. I had to spend lots of time on PsychInfo, looking up past research studies that were similar to my own and properly cite and reference over 10 sources.

I have little experience with creating a podcast, in my high school creative writing class we had to create a radio show and do some social commentary. My topic was on pop culture and what I disliked about it. I did not really put the show together, my friend who had more experience with computers helped me piece my assignment together. I am somewhat excited to create a podcast but also, slightly nervous because I am typically a quiet person and have no real experience with this. After looking over some of the podcast topics I am interested in either the Grammar Girl topic or On the Media. I just completed a course called Ethics of Publicity and I feel that, that course would help me with the On the Media topic.

Thanks for letting me share,

Adelina Ruffolo

Camellia, W14, Introductions

Hi everyone!  My name is Camellia and I am a second year English major.  I have also taken professional writing courses and I am strongly considering becoming a Professional Writing major as well.  My passions include reading, writing, journalism, and editing.  I am currently enrolled in an introductory linguistics course (which I am enjoying very much) and I hope to continue studying linguistics in the future.

I believe everyone researches to a certain extent, especially with the help of Google.   With the click of a button, Google allows me to stay updated in all things books, music, etc.  There is so much information available at our fingertips, so I hope to learn how to research efficiently in order to find the exact information I am looking for.  I want to learn the research tools that will allow me to discover the most credible information that will support my future research.

I have never used the information management software: RefWorks or Zotero.  I used Google Scholar and it was an excellent resource, especially when I needed to search for literary criticism for past English courses.  I have used York’s eResources – which was also a helpful tool.  Also, I have made countless trips to York’s Scott Library where I searched through shelves and shelves of books in order to find information to support my research essays.

I always listen to the radio, but I do not have any experience working in a broadcast environment.  I have heard of the term “podcast” many times but I have never listened, nor created a podcast before.  Therefore, I am a little intimidated about creating a podcast because as of now, I don’t have any tools that I can use to record my voice.  I am intimidated because a podcast is solely audio and I want to ensure that I create a podcast that will hold the listener’s attention throughout. 

After looking through the list of podcast shows and topics, I am considering Grammar Girl or Lexicon Valley for the course project.  Since writing and editing are two of my passions, I always pay keen attention to the way things are written and I am obsessed with anything grammar-related, so I think Grammar Girl will be perfect for me.  However, since I am taking a linguistics course and I have an interest in the way in which languages function, I believe Lexicon Valley is also a possibility for my podcast.

I am excited to see where WRIT 2300 will lead us all…

Justyne Yuen-Lee, W14: Introductions

Hello, my name is Justyne and I am a second year Professional Writing student and a first year Communications student. I have chosen the Institutional Communications stream as I hope to pursue a career in either technical writing or public relations. I have no experience using RefWorks or Zotero, but I look forward to trying them out in this course. I find that research is essential for any project and is where writers discover their key ideas. In this course I hope to learn how to be more efficient in finding information while working on the major project. Recently I have researched various charity organizations for both school assignments and personal interest for positions I could apply after completing my undergraduate degree. Some organizations include Yonge-Street Mission and All Girls Allowed. In my research I learned of both their goals as an organization and where their funds go. I do not have any experience with radio or podcasting and am intimidated by the task, but also excited to complete it on my own. From the list of topics, I am considering the Stuff you Missed in History Class, Under the Influence, or Grammar Girl topics. I think it would be interesting to look at a historical event from an angle people rarely consider. But also, it would be interesting to look at the tactics used in advertisements to appeal to the ever-changing audience. Finally, being a student of private school where grammar rules were constantly enforced, I find the purpose of grammar varies for different people and would like to look into the reason why.

Hello

Hello

            I’m Christopher currently in second year for the professional writing program. I’m interested in many subjects but lack the attention to call it an area of study. From math lost to its tedious repetition, science lost to understanding, digital art lost to talent but found an interest in writing. I have found a place among them with cold and heartless embraces.

            I believe I have used Refworks before but to what end, what class and what reason I cannot recall. My research experiences are always constant and attract an air of futility. The information I seek for school is always eluding, buried deep in the recesses of the internet, the information I seek for hobbies is always exactly what I need but never in my ability to perform and information that I seek for social contexts is always to make a point. Claims of truth always bring the best in social gatherings. The one thing I want to learn about research—and I believe everyone else does too—is how to find what I need as fast as possible without navigating the entire internet.

            I have no experience with radio and podcasting aside from participating as an audience. I feel more intimidated than excited about the podcast episode merely for my audience, who wants to hear my voice for extended periods without interruption? I however, have no qualms about doing the assignment though, as of yet.

            The topics I’m considering for the assignment are The Science Times and Spark. I enjoy speculating on what could be, what can be, or what might be and The Science Times looks to give me a cohesive opportunity to do so, though I might get lost in understanding. Spark seems to allow a similar opportunity in a different area.

            Thanks for reading

Christopher

Introductions

Hello, my name is Adrianna Lafkas. I am in my fourth year of university, but in the second year of my Professional Writing degree, in the periodical stream. I also have a minor in Gender and Women's Studies. I was originally working on a Film Studies degree, but found little motivation in a program that had little opportunity in helping people. I chose to take Professional Writing to improve my writing and communication skills and to apply them in spreading social consciousness. I hope to one day work for a magazine or newspaper publication, be that in print or online, where I can apply my education in Professional Writing and Gender and Women’s Studies, in applying my knowledge and ability to theorize socially conscious concerns in pop culture and politics, on an international scale. 

After studying films for two years I gained some experience in academic research, as it is a very research-based discipline, using multiple online databases, archives, and the school library. It also gave me experience using RefWorks. Although I didn't particularly enjoy research in those years, I have gained a new appreciation for it. I also find it easier to be invested in the research when you feel deeply about the topics and themes you’re looking for.   

I don't have much experience with radio or podcasting; I am not fond of the recording of my voice. I am excited to try it for the first time, but also nervous, and a little shy, of hearing myself.

After reviewing the various podcast topics I will probably choose to discuss an advertisement and it's effects on the audiences of today's culture. I think it’s incredibly important to understand what we’re hearing and seeing in the media. I predict I’ll be able to use many ideas and concepts I’ve learned in GWST classes to reveal the horror of advertising. 

Michael Pietrobon, W14, Introductions

My name is Michael. I am a second-year English and Professional Writing major in the Book Publishing stream. I am interested in poetry, fiction, grammar, and linguistics. I have always found research to be a necessary procedure that finds a way to slow a writer's creative process. However, I enjoying researching my interests on my own time, outside of what is required for school. I want to learn how to research efficiently, to know how to determine the quality of a source within seconds of opening it.

I have never used RefWorks or Zotero, but have heard of them in my first-year classes. Zotero seems like the sort of software I would use because of its simplicity and speed, though I have yet to feel the need to use these sorts of programs.

Like everyone, I perform research on nearly every topic that I encounter. I frequently research foreign languages and writing systems, movies and musicians I enjoy, and criticism on books I've read. I am also interested in social issues concerning economic equality in the developed world and gender equality.

I have no experience in radio or podcasting, though in high school I made an audio recording of a scene from Man of La Mancha with some classmates. I have experience using Garageband and Adobe Audition for recording. The only way in which I feel intimidated about this podcast is in finding compelling content that can be supported by thorough research and interviews.

Some of the podcasts seem interesting, and many seem very opposite to my interests. I've known Grammar Girl for a while now, though I don't enjoy their overly simplistic style. I find Lexicon Valley to be the most compelling of all the listed podcasts, as it resonates perfectly my interests in linguistics and usage. It's an inexhaustible topic that has more added to it each day.

Introductions - Nawal Salim, W14

Hi! My name is Nawal Salim and I am a second year English and Professional Writing student. I hope to enter the institutional communications stream in my third year. This year, I started a club called Greenlight Productions (www.facebook.com/YUGreenlight) which showcases dramatic art while in accordance to Islamic ethical principles. With that being said, it is obvious that I am very passionate about the arts; particularly dramatic arts, and my faith - Islam. 

This semester, I hope to learn about new databases or other search engines that will help me do greater research on future assignments in all my courses. The English side of my major requires me to use secondary sources frequently so I often use literature databases such as Literature Online, Literature Resource Centre, and Oxford Reference Online. When I am unable to find any information on those databases, I use Google Scholar. For courses I took in high school, as well as research on common topics, I use good ol' Google. I have never heard of Zotero or Refworks until I enrolled in this course. I hope I will learn how to use these sites as they look very convenient.  

Unfortunately, I do not have any experience with podcasts or radio broadcasting. I am very excited to create a podcast because it seems like an opportunity to perform. I am very nervous however, that I wont be able to find enough information to talk about for 15 minutes. Or rather, it wont be entertaining or engaging. 

One of the topics that I found interesting were, On The Media. I am very in tune with what is happening in pop culture and it would be fun to express my opinions on a recent Hollywood scandal. As well, I found Under The Influence an exciting topic too. I am a huge "hip hop head" so I would find it cool to learn about different advertising techniques some of my favourite musicians used to get their name or album out to the world. 

Although there are some really great topics, I really want to speak on a topic not listed. I want to research and talk about the influence religion had and still has on dramatic arts. I want to look at the history of drama and film and the future of religion in drama or film - with the approval of my TA, of course. 

I cant wait to see where this semester takes me. I hope it's fun! 

W14: Introductions Shanice Grocia

Hello there!

My name is Shanice Grocia, and I am a Professional Writing and Communications double major. I joined both majors after the end of my first year – guess you can say I found my ‘true calling’! I have a great interest in studying journalism and editorial. Through volunteering at CHRY 105.5 FM and the York University campus paper, I have experienced a bit of both of these fields; but would love to take a course focused on both of them. I’m actually pretty excited for the short podcast episode being featured in this term! I don’t actually make or listen to podcasts at all, but “On the Media” would be a great topic to explore. 

I've done research for other courses, but it was mainly searching for quotations for use in essay writing. This research was usually done through the York Library website and other online databases. This being said, I have not used information management softwares such as RefWorks or Zotero. By the end of this course, I hope to have gained a better handle of researching and a strategy to make it as efficient as possible. 

Introducing Amanda Black

Hi I’m Amanda and I’m a third year student at York. I guess the main thing I want to learn about research is how to do it more efficiently and to get results quicker and with more accuracy. It’s a pain to search for things on the internet using a search engine and end up with links to useless or incorrect information. There are many different subjects I’m interested in studying, such as history, astronomy, and literature. I have never used any type of management software, nor do I even know what Zotero or Refworks even is. Any technology skills I possess are limited to using the internet and Word. Technology just doesn’t agree with me. I have a ton of research experience, since both high school and university call for such. Lately I have been doing history research as I am taking a minor in it. When I don’t have to research anything for school I like to look up research for things that may help with my writing. As mentioned, technology hates me. For the podcast I have absolutely no idea what to do as of now. I have zero experience and frankly am pretty nervous to do so. Luckily though, I have a friend who knows computers and has taken design and audio courses at college and if I get stuck with all the tech stuff, she said she would lend a hand. This is good because with my luck I’d try to edit it, and end up deleting the whole thing. I can’t say it enough, technology hates me. For the topic of the podcast I don’t have any concrete idea yet, but I’m thinking about doing one under the category of either “stuff you missed in history class,” “99% invisible,” or “spark.” Though that last one is a long shot. If I have to start talking about technology I will go on a rant about how it’s ruining society, taking jobs, and destroying human interaction. So really I’m leaning towards the history one. Now I just have to finalize a topic to talk about for 15 minutes, without it turning into a giant rant. This will be difficult.

There's an echo in here... [Sara says hello]

Greetings, salutations, most cordial civilities of the day, and so on, and so forth, etc. As you might guess from the title of this post, my name is Sara. I'm a fourth year transfer student from ye olde University of Toronto, lured to York's greener pastures by the Professional Writing program with an eye to become an editor. Basically, I'd like to spend the rest of my life holed up in a room somewhere with masses of books and a never-ending supply of tea.

As an English major, you don't actually end up doing too much research; most of the time, essays only require you to work with your primary texts, and little else. I got my first taste of real "research" last summer, working as a research assistant to a professor in the writing department. I ended up researching all kinds of obscure things, from genealogies to the price of potatoes in March 1918. It was a really valuable experience: I learned the finer techniques of navigating the immense range of resources out there, from the many different databases to the magic of "SEO." Outside of academics, I suppose I have a fairly inquisitive mind; when I see words and references I don't understand, I like to find out what they are. I'm also a bit of a stickler about sources and credibility, which I mostly credit to two years in a journalism-esque program. If I find a controversial news story, I almost always try to dig up more than one source for the information, and then more information on who's writing the story, who's being quoted, etc -- it's a bit of an obsession, I admit.

In terms of what I'd like to learn about research? I guess I'd just like to gain more confidence with it: despite having come a long way along the research line, I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing half (...err...most) of the time. Where to start, who to ask, and so on and so forth. If I've learned anything from my various jobs related to journalism, it's that there's no such thing as an article without some kind of research. I admit, I only have the vaguest inkling what RefWorks or Zotero are, but they seem useful. Would I ever use them? Who knows? I tend to be old fashioned and reluctant to change my stubborn ways. But it's always good to know what's out there.

Let's switch gears: podcasting. I admit, I am not a techy person. In fact, most technological devices tend to take one look at me and spontaneously explode. But I'm not one to be intimidated: if anything, I find the prospect of getting some hands-on experience with podcasts rather exciting. I've always loved radio, and podcasts are to radio what Netflix is to TV. Luckily for me, my roommate happens to be all shades of techy and even ran her own podcast for awhile, so I have an in-house resource for when I hit panic mode.

Since I'm such a word nerd, the linguistically-inclined podcasts appeal to me. Grammar Girl (one of my favourite websites, incidentally) and Lexicon Valley both lie close to my heart, as do On the Media and Under the Influence: media and advertising rhetoric are endlessly fascinating, and extremely relevant in surprising ways. Then again, I've also kept my fingers dipped in the music scene, and thought it might be fun to start a podcast highlighting local talents in Toronto. Or maybe I'll just dive in headfirst into something I have no real expertise in -- like, say, astrophysics -- but it have always wanted to learn about. So, in other words... I have too many ideas, as usual, but half the fun is narrowing a topic down.