Sara Siddiqui, W14: Introductions

Hello everyone,

My name is Sara Siddiqui, and I am Children's Studies major. I am an avid researcher of social psychology, issues within marginalized and underprivileged populations, health/wellness, and religion. Along with these topics, I am quite interested in social work, international development, human rights and social science based-research. In the past, I have conducted ethnographic research with children and youth, and I hope to start my own blog about my experiences with those projects after I graduate. I enrolled into this course because I want to learn about the intricacies of research, and understand the pros and cons of both primary and secondary sources (and how to use them). Moreover, I want to learn about the ways that I can present information in an unbiased and coherent manner and evaluate the validity and reliability of sources.

I have used information management software like RefWorks before; however, I only used it for generating citations and bibliographies. I do not have any experience with radio or podcasting. I enjoy listening to the CBC radio, and particularly appreciate Paul Kennedy's podcast/program: "Ideas". In terms of our course project, I am considering the following podcast shows and topics: On the Media, Freakonomics, Under the Influence, and Stuff You Missed in History Class. Most of the aforementioned podcast shows and topics revolve around social, political, historical and cultural issues, which are of interest to me. In particular, On the Media seems to be the most appealing one, as I like evaluating and discussing matters around journalism and media. Overall, I look forward to creating a short podcast episode for this course because I enjoy taking on projects that I have never done before. Most importantly, since our project will be available for public viewing, this project will motivate me to do my best to engage with others through my work.

Emilia Vieni, W14: Introductions

     There isn't really much to say regarding what I wish to learn about research. I think anyone who has some sort of passion or academic pursuit (in fact any interest at all) would benefit from knowing the proper ethical methods of research. For me, specifically, I hope that by the end of this course I will at least be able to research  faster, as well as have a working knowledge of all the ethical ways that research is completed and cited, which is very important if you plan on becoming a professional writer, in any field.
      Most of my research experiences come from searching about my interests and hobbies. I cannot say I am an avid researcher, but when I have a question or if I am in need of a bit of background information I usually turn to my public library, or, the famous Google. As of now I am in my third year of professional writing (institutional) and plan on also going to Seneca afterwards for a diploma either in creative advertising or business. School is where a good portion of my research takes place, and I often find myself searching for ebooks that contain good quotes and information on an essay topic. One of my most memorable research experiences would have to be in first year when I had to research George Orwell, and in doing so I actually learned quote a lot about his life and what he aimed to convey in his stories.
     I have no idea how to use Refworks or Zotero, but I am sure I will get used to it more as we go on with the course. In terms of podcasting, I do not feel intimidated but I have never made or even listened to a podcast so it will definitely be a new experience for me. I look forward to it though, as I can use the knowledge I gain from this later on for other projects.
     For the course project I am considering doing either Freakonomics or Under the Influence. Freakonomics appeals to me the most as of now. I really enjoy challenging conventional ways of thinking and looking into the meanings behind the meanings, so this podcast will give me a lot of good ideas to report on. I could see myself also having some fun with Under the Influence. When you really take a close look at an advertising campaign, you find a lot of things that may surprise you.