A clever hook is commonly used to spark the reader's interest, therefore I hope organic farming can be interesting; for that was the subject assigned to me for this final essay that you are now reading. And with that introduction, let us prepare to dig deep into the process that I used to research my topic.
Before my research, I had a vague idea of what organic foods are. Within a few minutes, I discovered that organic foods are approved by the USDA based upon certain standards. The USDA consumer brochure gives a brief summary of these standards,
"Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation."
However, I conducted several searches in order to stumble upon what I learned. Searches always use some form of a strategy; even if a strategy is not intended. I began my search at the Haystac Catalog because it was the first on the list, and I rationalized that going down the list would save time; instead of blankly staring at the list in an effort to pick which one I should choose first. I used the subject heading option because, clearly, "organic farming" is a subject. Immediately, I found a book by the name of The Basic Book of Organically Grown Foods, which is authored by the staff of a publication by the name of Organic gardening and farming. The title was almost a sufficient evaluation of the text. The word "basic" indicates its angle, and the phrase "organically grown foods" indicates the topic relevance; search success.
After my initial success, I turned to Academic Search Premier. I used the search terms "organic" and (boolean operator) "farming." The results that I first received seemed to be lacking in relevance, so I narrowed my search (using a link provided on the left-hand side) by the subject "Organic farming." I soon found an article which contained a global view of organic farming, and past organic farming policies. I thought this would provide greater depth to my research; not did I have information on what it is, but I information on its history.
I then went to a disciplinary database. Agricola, an agriculture-based database was an obvious choice. This database categorized the results; I found a category that included consumer information, and in this category I found an online consumer brochure about organic farming. This article provides information that is most useful for the people who purchase organic products; if no one purchased organic products, then the industry would not exist. This article is clearly relevant.
Lastly, I approached the infamous Google. I used the search terms "organic farming" in quotes. The result that I fancied the most is from the USDA website, which led to a page with the title, Organic Agriculture. Once I reached the page, I noticed the words "Economic Research Service" in bold letters with the subtitle: The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America. This page not only gave a brief overview of what organic agriculture is, but it introduces an economic element into the picture. At the bottom of the page, there are also several links to recommended readings, data, and related items. Not only did I get a result, but a result that leads to even more results; clearly it is a worthwhile result.
How did I come to the conclusion that these searches were good sources? I took into account topic relevance, angle and authority. Every result that I listed comes from a source with authority (unless you believe the USDA holds no authority). I then tried to include a circumspect arrangement of angles, which included: consumer/economic/global/historical/basic standpoints. One would suspect that many revisions had to take place to locate such a variety of results.
To my surprise, I did not have to revise any of my searches. However, technically you can say I had to do so for my search on Academic Search Premier; when I narrowed the search by subject. Although, that required a simply click of the mouse and could hardly be defined as a revision. I credit this absence of revision to my simple and specific search terms. In the game of research, topics tend to be highly complex, but search terms must be simple. I could easily continue my search using the search strategies.
A question that was raised by my search is, "What benefits does organic farming offer to society?" Another question I have is, "Is organic farming practical on a national scale?" Of course, Lexis Nexis and JSTOR are additional databases in which I could further explore my research subject.
Bibliographic citation:
1. The Basic book of organically grown foods, by the staff of Organic gardening and farming. Edited by M. C. Goldman and William H. Hylton 1. Publ. info. Emmaus, Pa., Rodale Press Book Division [1972] call number S605.5 B38
2. Explaining organic farming through past policies: comparing support policies of the EU, Austria and Finland. Author: Lesjak, Heli Annika Journal of Cleaner Production; Jan2008, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p1-11, 11p FULL TEXT: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VFX-4M04J1J-1&_user=521381&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000059560&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=521381&md5=9bcf1c5e0ec0b0c666b4017e6bc709a5 and a just-in-case link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.06.005
3. Organic Food Standards and Labels : The Facts The National Organic Program Printed: April 2002 Updated: January 2007 http://desearch.nal.usda.gov/cgi-bin/dexpldcgi?qry2146737728;102
4. Organic agriculture Briefing Rooms http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Organic/ Updated date: November 27, 2007 USDA Economic Research Service
Friday, December 14, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Self-Gratuity Essay
Again and again, I am requested to regurgitate information from rote memorization and cite evidence of said memorization. Again and again, I purposefully include logically-reached opinions because I care for an education; (GASP) more than I care about a graduation plague. Although unpopular (even for my mom), I would rather learn how to live well, than learn how to live for a paycheck. While we are free to pursue happiness; few realize that happiness is a form of the mind. As happiness is clearly insignificant to every human being, (again and again) teachers only ask students to exercise the intellectual capacity of computer memory. So much for happiness.
Anyways, information is a cornerstone of human civilization. From instruction manuals to blueprints, information is highly practical. Information can also be strongly theoretical, such as concepts or ideas. The mass quantity of information has led to the need of organization of it; libraries and databases are products of this need. However, an understanding of information, its organization, and its ethics is helpful in maximizing its usefulness.
There are no information "needs," but only informational wants. We want to have libraries. We want databases. We want to easily access information. We want blueprints, schematics, and statistics; because we want to continue having mansions, nuclear weapons, and stereotypes. Just like how we want to continue having comfort, hospitals, and social-awareness. But, what we want the most is to cheat hard work. We want it so badly that we have nicknamed it as a "need." And what we want is to learn what took others years to discover... but within the lines of a journal article. An example from my portfolio is unnecessary to illustrate this; the volumes upon volumes waiting upon library shelves are far more examples than I can ever cite.
I did not learn how to formulate a research question in our library class; I learned how to formulate research questions in our library class. I learned not how to create an initial research question; I learned how to broaden and narrow the initial research question to discover more research questions. An example of a broadened and narrowed initial research question is found on my research log entry from October 11, 2007. My initial research question in that log entry is, “Do we profile people based on their age?” I broadened that question by asking, “What is profiling and how do we use it?” And I then narrowed the question by asking, “Do people of differing ages, in general, treat each other differently?” Yet more, I learned how to strategically explore my question.
Formulating a research question is not practical enough; one must be capable of exploring a research question with haste and dexterity in order to meet practicality. Simplifying research terms is an easy way to increase the number of results. Let us simplify, "The connection between the body and the soul" to the simpler, "soul and body." By doing this, a search engine such as Google will limit the search to results with the words "soul" and "body," rather than searching for websites that include the words and phrases: "The connection" and "between" and "the body" and "the soul." In a database, there are the Boolean operators "and" and "or." If the Boolean operator of "and" is used in a database search with the terms "body" and "soul," results with both the terms will be identified. I used the terms “justice” and “philosophy” in this manner to find sources that contained both terms for my research log entry on October 18, 2007. The Boolean operator of “or” serves a different function. A database search that uses the Boolean operator of "or," with the search terms "body" and "soul," will show results that contains either of the words. However, these strategies should not be applied for the sake of application.
Search strategies should be carried out with intents; not because they are strategies. Humans talk in order to communicate; not because humans are humans. If I were to limit a database search of the terms "body" and "soul" with the Boolean operator of "or," I should not do so for its own sake; I should do so because I want to find results about only the body or just about the soul. Strategies should be executed with intents, but also revised to meet the intents. My research log entry from October 18, 2007 records my use of the Boolean operator “and” to find results containing both the terms “justice” and “philosophy.”
In order to effectively use traditional and new library resources and tools, an understanding of how to use them must be developed. To find a book using a call number, an understanding of what a call number represents is helpful. An understanding of Boolean operators is useful in a search for both the terms “body” and “soul.” My research log entry from October 18, 2007 illustrates my understanding of the Boolean operator “and” to find results containing both the terms “justice” and “philosophy.”
The aim of research is to find sources with authority, angle, and topic relevance. Research processes are used to carry out this aim. In addition to my search term “justice,” I use the search term “philosophy” to find sources with philosophical angles in my research log entry from October 18, 2007.
We also have a thing such as information ethics. The purpose of things such citations and bibliographies is to give credit to the author of a work. But if anything, information ethics is an information code of honor. A strong value of our current society is ownership. It is not the pen that I use; it is my pen. It is not the house that I live in; it is my house. It is not the information that I discovered; it is my information. Commercialism only further encourages our attraction to ownership. Not only is it my pen, but it is my pen that I bought. Not only is it my house, but it is my house that I bought. And not only is it my information, but it is my information that I can sell. Information ethics exists not to ethically share information, but to appease the owner's ego. Developing author's rights movements, such as Creative Commons seek to eliminate the commercial aspect, while continuing to note the author of a work. However, it should be noted that if the many were asked if hard work should be acknowledged, the many would cry yes. Although, if asked whether the author’s honor or information is useful to more people; it would be clear that information is useful to more people. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that every author will train himself or herself to reject ownership, therefore movements such as Creative Commons are practical for allowing maximal access to information while preserving the author’s ownership.
My only significant failures involved using too specific or too broad search terms, which often resulted in no results or too many results. The Golden Mean is an appropriate solution to these problems. I quickly solved these problems by broadening search terms that were too specific, or by narrowing search terms that were too broad. However, I do not understand how successes or failures can be “solved” (as stated in the rubric). So, I will also write on behalf of my successes. I believe these can be “solved” – or further explored – by developing new research questions that are raised by the results of the initial research question.
Clearly, I am capable of memorizing and citing information as the assignment requested. Of course I can endlessly type out lies about how I made progress achieving the course objectives, and rummage for some examples of how I did so. However, my essay included a bunch of fluff that contained nonsense such as opinions and thought. Therefore, I should be marked down accordingly for wordiness.
Anyways, information is a cornerstone of human civilization. From instruction manuals to blueprints, information is highly practical. Information can also be strongly theoretical, such as concepts or ideas. The mass quantity of information has led to the need of organization of it; libraries and databases are products of this need. However, an understanding of information, its organization, and its ethics is helpful in maximizing its usefulness.
There are no information "needs," but only informational wants. We want to have libraries. We want databases. We want to easily access information. We want blueprints, schematics, and statistics; because we want to continue having mansions, nuclear weapons, and stereotypes. Just like how we want to continue having comfort, hospitals, and social-awareness. But, what we want the most is to cheat hard work. We want it so badly that we have nicknamed it as a "need." And what we want is to learn what took others years to discover... but within the lines of a journal article. An example from my portfolio is unnecessary to illustrate this; the volumes upon volumes waiting upon library shelves are far more examples than I can ever cite.
I did not learn how to formulate a research question in our library class; I learned how to formulate research questions in our library class. I learned not how to create an initial research question; I learned how to broaden and narrow the initial research question to discover more research questions. An example of a broadened and narrowed initial research question is found on my research log entry from October 11, 2007. My initial research question in that log entry is, “Do we profile people based on their age?” I broadened that question by asking, “What is profiling and how do we use it?” And I then narrowed the question by asking, “Do people of differing ages, in general, treat each other differently?” Yet more, I learned how to strategically explore my question.
Formulating a research question is not practical enough; one must be capable of exploring a research question with haste and dexterity in order to meet practicality. Simplifying research terms is an easy way to increase the number of results. Let us simplify, "The connection between the body and the soul" to the simpler, "soul and body." By doing this, a search engine such as Google will limit the search to results with the words "soul" and "body," rather than searching for websites that include the words and phrases: "The connection" and "between" and "the body" and "the soul." In a database, there are the Boolean operators "and" and "or." If the Boolean operator of "and" is used in a database search with the terms "body" and "soul," results with both the terms will be identified. I used the terms “justice” and “philosophy” in this manner to find sources that contained both terms for my research log entry on October 18, 2007. The Boolean operator of “or” serves a different function. A database search that uses the Boolean operator of "or," with the search terms "body" and "soul," will show results that contains either of the words. However, these strategies should not be applied for the sake of application.
Search strategies should be carried out with intents; not because they are strategies. Humans talk in order to communicate; not because humans are humans. If I were to limit a database search of the terms "body" and "soul" with the Boolean operator of "or," I should not do so for its own sake; I should do so because I want to find results about only the body or just about the soul. Strategies should be executed with intents, but also revised to meet the intents. My research log entry from October 18, 2007 records my use of the Boolean operator “and” to find results containing both the terms “justice” and “philosophy.”
In order to effectively use traditional and new library resources and tools, an understanding of how to use them must be developed. To find a book using a call number, an understanding of what a call number represents is helpful. An understanding of Boolean operators is useful in a search for both the terms “body” and “soul.” My research log entry from October 18, 2007 illustrates my understanding of the Boolean operator “and” to find results containing both the terms “justice” and “philosophy.”
The aim of research is to find sources with authority, angle, and topic relevance. Research processes are used to carry out this aim. In addition to my search term “justice,” I use the search term “philosophy” to find sources with philosophical angles in my research log entry from October 18, 2007.
We also have a thing such as information ethics. The purpose of things such citations and bibliographies is to give credit to the author of a work. But if anything, information ethics is an information code of honor. A strong value of our current society is ownership. It is not the pen that I use; it is my pen. It is not the house that I live in; it is my house. It is not the information that I discovered; it is my information. Commercialism only further encourages our attraction to ownership. Not only is it my pen, but it is my pen that I bought. Not only is it my house, but it is my house that I bought. And not only is it my information, but it is my information that I can sell. Information ethics exists not to ethically share information, but to appease the owner's ego. Developing author's rights movements, such as Creative Commons seek to eliminate the commercial aspect, while continuing to note the author of a work. However, it should be noted that if the many were asked if hard work should be acknowledged, the many would cry yes. Although, if asked whether the author’s honor or information is useful to more people; it would be clear that information is useful to more people. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that every author will train himself or herself to reject ownership, therefore movements such as Creative Commons are practical for allowing maximal access to information while preserving the author’s ownership.
My only significant failures involved using too specific or too broad search terms, which often resulted in no results or too many results. The Golden Mean is an appropriate solution to these problems. I quickly solved these problems by broadening search terms that were too specific, or by narrowing search terms that were too broad. However, I do not understand how successes or failures can be “solved” (as stated in the rubric). So, I will also write on behalf of my successes. I believe these can be “solved” – or further explored – by developing new research questions that are raised by the results of the initial research question.
Clearly, I am capable of memorizing and citing information as the assignment requested. Of course I can endlessly type out lies about how I made progress achieving the course objectives, and rummage for some examples of how I did so. However, my essay included a bunch of fluff that contained nonsense such as opinions and thought. Therefore, I should be marked down accordingly for wordiness.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Research Log Entry (Due Monday, November 19, 2007)
1. MLA (Modern Language Association) and APA (American Psychological Association) formats and how to properly cite sources in the afore-mentioned formats. We also learned of online tools that can assist in the citation process.
2. MLA focuses more on the author, APA focuses more on the date published. MLA is more suitable to the humanities, while APA is more suitable to the sciences.
2. MLA focuses more on the author, APA focuses more on the date published. MLA is more suitable to the humanities, while APA is more suitable to the sciences.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Dueling with Dualism: or Review due Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007
I was about to embark on a journey that would take me through the crests and valleys of a landscape of information... and I had no clue where to begin. Luckily, I had instructions supplied by the information guru, known to us only as professor Soules. Little did I know, that these simple instructions would lead to a far more complex discovery. A leaf of paper in my hand, this is how my journey began.
The leaf of paper noted, I then proceeded to my computer, and from there I sought the knowledge of the one known as Academic Search Premier. This was my first stop, for it was the first listed on the instructions. Once I had confronted Academic Search Premier, it asked one thing, "What are your search terms?" I replied, "body and soul." It replied with a body of texts that could crush me if dropped from the second level of a building. Intimidated by this continent of knowledge, I asked Academic Search Premier if it could refine my search to Academic Journals and then further refine it to "dualism." Fortunately, Academic Search Premier sensed the importance of my task and quickly complied. My searched was refined and I immediately caught sight of a text called, "Mind incarnate: from Dewey to Damasio." I took note of the fact that this text was published by an academic journal that covers the discipline of philosophy, it clearly had authority and an in-depth philosophical angle on the topic of dualism. How could I be certain of its relevance, though? This question was then answered by the highlighted subject terms that displayed the words "dualism" and "mind & body" in blinding glory, clearly before my eyes. This relevance was strengthened further by the brief description provided, "The article discusses the theory which states that the human mind is intrinsically incarnate. Most people find this hard to accept. Only a handful of intellectually courageous philosophers have embraced a nondualistic view of mind and pursued such a view. Philosophers loathe to give up the notion of a transcendent soul and a disembodied mind." We have a winner!
Academic Search Premier led me to its fortune of information, but it only teased my curiosity. I had to seek the wisdom of the Philosopher's Index. So, I did. The instructions instructed that I seek a database in a discipline after a general database. So, I did. After initial contact, I inquired the Philosopher's Index about the terms "body and soul." It replied with a text by the name of, "Kim Against Dualism." Published in a philosophical journal, "Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition." Beautiful, beautiful authority. Relevance and angle? No problem, "This paper presents and evaluates Jaegwon Kim's recent argument against substance dualism." It seemed to contain a few philosophical terms, which may pose problems for a general audience, but fails to threaten the philosophy major on his information quest. Next stop?
The library catalog. After asking about "dualism" I was led to the text, "Descartes' dualism." Authority was claimed by Harvard University Press. Relevance and angle were claimed by the subject listing of, "Contribution in dualist doctrine of mind and body." And I claimed the search a success.
Soon, I claimed the realm of the World Wide Web. Clack, clack, clack... google... "dualism"... loading... Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Authority? I pray that a university's leviathan philosophical encyclopedia satisfies that. Relevance? Does 12,719 words on the topic of dualism throughout the history of philosophy qualify? Hmm, I guess it will do.
Now, at the end of my quest, I think I barely escaped an overdose on dualism. But, I shall include some reflections on my epic task. By providence, adjustments did not have to be made to my search. Why do I think this happened? I suspect this fortune can be traced to my terms and choice of databases. "Body and soul" and "dualism" are topic-specific terms, almost always associated with philosophy. The Philosopher's Index was an obvious choice for such a search, and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy was a clear choice for an internet search. Search terms and choice of database: highly significance.
And my sources? They included a wide-spectrum of information on dualism. The source unearthed from Academic Search Premier, "Mind incarnate: from Dewey to Damasio" by Mark Johnson, argues against the idea of dualism. My source from the Philosopher's Index by David Jehle, "Kim Against Dualism," presents and evaluates a specific argument against dualism. "Descartes' Dualism" by Marleen Rozemond, a text found through the library catalog studies 17th century dualistic conceptions. Lastly, the gargantuan dualism page on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy covers the major arguments on dualism throughout the history of philosophy; the most comprehensive source by far. All the sources differ in their approach to dualism. One argues against dualism, one examines a specific argument, one studies it in a specific era, and one covers it throughout the history of philosophy. Let us hope that explains why I choose them.
And what about bibliographical information? I identified the authors, titles, publishers, years published, journal titles, and volume numbers for the sources from Academic Search Premier, the Philosopher's Index and the library catalog. The title, URL, publish date, and date visited were identified for the dualism page on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Did I learn anything? I learned that my cluster topic is pretty damn huge. People write entire books about it. It has been debated for over 2,000 years. It is kind of a big deal. I'd be lying if I said I just learned that though. I already know what dualism (mind-body dualism in this case) is, and I already know it is a debated philosophical topic. If anything, I learned that I have a lot of learn. The detail and scope of the arguments in my sources are almost unbearable. Maybe, I will learn how to bear them as my philosophical inquiry continues.
How can I continue my quest? By asking questions. The first would be, what ethical issues arise from mind-body dualism? What metaphysical problems are posed by mind-body dualism, would be the second. These questions do not even require a database, unless a mind fits the definition. All sorts of answers can be provided in response to these questions, given a few moments of thought.
What if I want to search for more information? I can use another database! Lexis Nexus is readily accessible and is another general database that may bring me to many more results.
So, is my quest over? Or has it just begun?...
The leaf of paper noted, I then proceeded to my computer, and from there I sought the knowledge of the one known as Academic Search Premier. This was my first stop, for it was the first listed on the instructions. Once I had confronted Academic Search Premier, it asked one thing, "What are your search terms?" I replied, "body and soul." It replied with a body of texts that could crush me if dropped from the second level of a building. Intimidated by this continent of knowledge, I asked Academic Search Premier if it could refine my search to Academic Journals and then further refine it to "dualism." Fortunately, Academic Search Premier sensed the importance of my task and quickly complied. My searched was refined and I immediately caught sight of a text called, "Mind incarnate: from Dewey to Damasio." I took note of the fact that this text was published by an academic journal that covers the discipline of philosophy, it clearly had authority and an in-depth philosophical angle on the topic of dualism. How could I be certain of its relevance, though? This question was then answered by the highlighted subject terms that displayed the words "dualism" and "mind & body" in blinding glory, clearly before my eyes. This relevance was strengthened further by the brief description provided, "The article discusses the theory which states that the human mind is intrinsically incarnate. Most people find this hard to accept. Only a handful of intellectually courageous philosophers have embraced a nondualistic view of mind and pursued such a view. Philosophers loathe to give up the notion of a transcendent soul and a disembodied mind." We have a winner!
Academic Search Premier led me to its fortune of information, but it only teased my curiosity. I had to seek the wisdom of the Philosopher's Index. So, I did. The instructions instructed that I seek a database in a discipline after a general database. So, I did. After initial contact, I inquired the Philosopher's Index about the terms "body and soul." It replied with a text by the name of, "Kim Against Dualism." Published in a philosophical journal, "Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition." Beautiful, beautiful authority. Relevance and angle? No problem, "This paper presents and evaluates Jaegwon Kim's recent argument against substance dualism." It seemed to contain a few philosophical terms, which may pose problems for a general audience, but fails to threaten the philosophy major on his information quest. Next stop?
The library catalog. After asking about "dualism" I was led to the text, "Descartes' dualism." Authority was claimed by Harvard University Press. Relevance and angle were claimed by the subject listing of, "Contribution in dualist doctrine of mind and body." And I claimed the search a success.
Soon, I claimed the realm of the World Wide Web. Clack, clack, clack... google... "dualism"... loading... Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Authority? I pray that a university's leviathan philosophical encyclopedia satisfies that. Relevance? Does 12,719 words on the topic of dualism throughout the history of philosophy qualify? Hmm, I guess it will do.
Now, at the end of my quest, I think I barely escaped an overdose on dualism. But, I shall include some reflections on my epic task. By providence, adjustments did not have to be made to my search. Why do I think this happened? I suspect this fortune can be traced to my terms and choice of databases. "Body and soul" and "dualism" are topic-specific terms, almost always associated with philosophy. The Philosopher's Index was an obvious choice for such a search, and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy was a clear choice for an internet search. Search terms and choice of database: highly significance.
And my sources? They included a wide-spectrum of information on dualism. The source unearthed from Academic Search Premier, "Mind incarnate: from Dewey to Damasio" by Mark Johnson, argues against the idea of dualism. My source from the Philosopher's Index by David Jehle, "Kim Against Dualism," presents and evaluates a specific argument against dualism. "Descartes' Dualism" by Marleen Rozemond, a text found through the library catalog studies 17th century dualistic conceptions. Lastly, the gargantuan dualism page on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy covers the major arguments on dualism throughout the history of philosophy; the most comprehensive source by far. All the sources differ in their approach to dualism. One argues against dualism, one examines a specific argument, one studies it in a specific era, and one covers it throughout the history of philosophy. Let us hope that explains why I choose them.
And what about bibliographical information? I identified the authors, titles, publishers, years published, journal titles, and volume numbers for the sources from Academic Search Premier, the Philosopher's Index and the library catalog. The title, URL, publish date, and date visited were identified for the dualism page on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Did I learn anything? I learned that my cluster topic is pretty damn huge. People write entire books about it. It has been debated for over 2,000 years. It is kind of a big deal. I'd be lying if I said I just learned that though. I already know what dualism (mind-body dualism in this case) is, and I already know it is a debated philosophical topic. If anything, I learned that I have a lot of learn. The detail and scope of the arguments in my sources are almost unbearable. Maybe, I will learn how to bear them as my philosophical inquiry continues.
How can I continue my quest? By asking questions. The first would be, what ethical issues arise from mind-body dualism? What metaphysical problems are posed by mind-body dualism, would be the second. These questions do not even require a database, unless a mind fits the definition. All sorts of answers can be provided in response to these questions, given a few moments of thought.
What if I want to search for more information? I can use another database! Lexis Nexus is readily accessible and is another general database that may bring me to many more results.
So, is my quest over? Or has it just begun?...
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007)
1. a) Substance, body, and soul: Aristotelian investigation (book stacks)
b) Plato dictionary (reference stacks)
2. BF173.J85 M445 (book stacks)
B351 .S7 (reference stacks)
3. a) I used the search terms "body and soul" and specified the search to only show texts from the book stacks. I immediately found several relevant results. I then used the same search terms, but specified the search to only show texts from the reference stacks
b) My search of the reference stacks yielded no results with the search terms "body and soul."
c) So, I modified my search terms to "Plato" and I came across a text called "Plato dictionary," which most likely contains Platonic conceptions of the body and soul.
b) Plato dictionary (reference stacks)
2. BF173.J85 M445 (book stacks)
B351 .S7 (reference stacks)
3. a) I used the search terms "body and soul" and specified the search to only show texts from the book stacks. I immediately found several relevant results. I then used the same search terms, but specified the search to only show texts from the reference stacks
b) My search of the reference stacks yielded no results with the search terms "body and soul."
c) So, I modified my search terms to "Plato" and I came across a text called "Plato dictionary," which most likely contains Platonic conceptions of the body and soul.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Monday, Nov. 5, 2007)
1. We learned how to use the library catalog, and we learned how to use a call number to find a book.
2. Subject headings are based on the Library of Congress Subject Headings; words just search for articles containing the words used in the search.
3. Subject headings can search for the sources that the Library of Congress put in that particular subject; they're good for projects on a single subject. Words can bring up sources that may be relevant, but do not lie within a single subject; they're good for projects that must cover material that is broader than a single subject.
2. Subject headings are based on the Library of Congress Subject Headings; words just search for articles containing the words used in the search.
3. Subject headings can search for the sources that the Library of Congress put in that particular subject; they're good for projects on a single subject. Words can bring up sources that may be relevant, but do not lie within a single subject; they're good for projects that must cover material that is broader than a single subject.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Thursday, Nov. 2, 2007)
1. How does Socrates' ideas of the body and soul compare to current concepts of the body and soul?
2. - Socrates and body and soul
- Current and body and soul
- Concepts and body and soul
- Body and soul
3. a) I started with the Philosopher's Index database, and first used the search terms "body and soul," which brought me a huge index of texts on the body and soul. I immediately found both current and classical texts which explore the ideas of the body and soul. Luckily, on my first search I encountered no difficulties. My success was most likely due to my choice of database.
b) Article 1 (Scholarly Journal): Ancient Philosophy, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 422-427, Fall 2006
Article 2 (Scholarly Journal): Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition, vol. 130, no. 3, pp. 565-578, September 2006
Article 3 (Scholarly Journal): Phronesis: A Journal of Ancient Philosophy, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 1-23, 2004
c) I could try the other search terms that I formulated; experiment with different Boolean operators; try different databases; develop new search terms; or ask a librarian!
2. - Socrates and body and soul
- Current and body and soul
- Concepts and body and soul
- Body and soul
3. a) I started with the Philosopher's Index database, and first used the search terms "body and soul," which brought me a huge index of texts on the body and soul. I immediately found both current and classical texts which explore the ideas of the body and soul. Luckily, on my first search I encountered no difficulties. My success was most likely due to my choice of database.
b) Article 1 (Scholarly Journal): Ancient Philosophy, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 422-427, Fall 2006
Article 2 (Scholarly Journal): Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition, vol. 130, no. 3, pp. 565-578, September 2006
Article 3 (Scholarly Journal): Phronesis: A Journal of Ancient Philosophy, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 1-23, 2004
c) I could try the other search terms that I formulated; experiment with different Boolean operators; try different databases; develop new search terms; or ask a librarian!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Monday, Oct. 29, 2007)
1. The differences and purposes of popular magazines, trade/professional magazines, and scholarly journals; and how to differentiate between the three (refer to #2).
2. The main differences between the three exists within their uses; audience; language; and authors:
- Scholarly journals consist of in-depth analysis for scholars and researchers, written in specialized subject vocabulary by experts in a field or scholars.
- Trade magazines are useful for up-to-date information of an industry, written for those in the industry with industry jargon, by professionals in the specific industry.
- Popular magazines captures current news; general interest; popular culture, and is written for the general public in everyday language by journalists and other staff/guest writers.
3. Advantages of print forms of periodicals: the physical text is more convenient to carry around than a computer, it is often easier to read printed text than text on a computer screen
Disadvantages of print forms of periodicals: more expensive to publish and distribute than electronic forms, not as easily accessible as an online text
Advantages of electronics forms of periodicals: the text can be accessed at any computer, cheaper to publish and distribute, individual sections can be found by using the search option, hypertext
Disadvantages of electronics forms of periodicals: one must have a computer nearby to access the text, often more difficult to read than printed text, cannot be conveniently carried like a printed text
2. The main differences between the three exists within their uses; audience; language; and authors:
- Scholarly journals consist of in-depth analysis for scholars and researchers, written in specialized subject vocabulary by experts in a field or scholars.
- Trade magazines are useful for up-to-date information of an industry, written for those in the industry with industry jargon, by professionals in the specific industry.
- Popular magazines captures current news; general interest; popular culture, and is written for the general public in everyday language by journalists and other staff/guest writers.
3. Advantages of print forms of periodicals: the physical text is more convenient to carry around than a computer, it is often easier to read printed text than text on a computer screen
Disadvantages of print forms of periodicals: more expensive to publish and distribute than electronic forms, not as easily accessible as an online text
Advantages of electronics forms of periodicals: the text can be accessed at any computer, cheaper to publish and distribute, individual sections can be found by using the search option, hypertext
Disadvantages of electronics forms of periodicals: one must have a computer nearby to access the text, often more difficult to read than printed text, cannot be conveniently carried like a printed text
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Thursday, October 25, 2007)
1. How are Socrates' ideas of the body and soul relevant today? Today's conception of the body and "soul" and its significance is what I'm looking for.
2. Body and Soul
3. Google, Academic Search Premier, CQ Researcher, Lexis Nexis, Brittanica Online
2. Body and Soul
3. Google, Academic Search Premier, CQ Researcher, Lexis Nexis, Brittanica Online
Monday, October 22, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Monday, October 22, 2007)
1. We continued our study of databases and we did some hands-on exercises/experiments with different databases on the CSUEB Library website.
2. Formulating search terms seems to be significant. Using the right terms could be the difference between finding a treasure trove of records related to the topic of a search, or finding nothing related to the topic at all.
3. By either broadening or narrowing a search, I can continue exploring any given topic. Also, by changing the search terms, I may also gather more records from a database. And of course, I can search on more than one database.
2. Formulating search terms seems to be significant. Using the right terms could be the difference between finding a treasure trove of records related to the topic of a search, or finding nothing related to the topic at all.
3. By either broadening or narrowing a search, I can continue exploring any given topic. Also, by changing the search terms, I may also gather more records from a database. And of course, I can search on more than one database.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Research Log Entry (Thursday, October 18, 2007)
1. What is justice?
2. I used the search terms: Justice and Philosophy, and then I narrowed the results by: justice and philosophy > philosophy > justice. Yes, they did work because I found many results that grappled with definitions and the purpose of justice.
3. No, I did not try alternate terms as my initial search was successful.
4. My results were perfect; I had 81 results, which is just right. Around 100 is an appropriate amount of results, because the results can be sorted through fairly quickly and there is still a large base of sources to choose from.
5. Almost all of the results answered my question either explicitly or implicitly. While some applied justice to certain topics, there were still implicit definitions and concepts of the purpose of justice in the sources.
6. Boolean operators can be used to either broaden or narrow a search. In the case of "and," it will narrow the search, whereas in the case of "or," it will broaden the search.
2. I used the search terms: Justice and Philosophy, and then I narrowed the results by: justice and philosophy > philosophy > justice. Yes, they did work because I found many results that grappled with definitions and the purpose of justice.
3. No, I did not try alternate terms as my initial search was successful.
4. My results were perfect; I had 81 results, which is just right. Around 100 is an appropriate amount of results, because the results can be sorted through fairly quickly and there is still a large base of sources to choose from.
5. Almost all of the results answered my question either explicitly or implicitly. While some applied justice to certain topics, there were still implicit definitions and concepts of the purpose of justice in the sources.
6. Boolean operators can be used to either broaden or narrow a search. In the case of "and," it will narrow the search, whereas in the case of "or," it will broaden the search.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Research Log Entry (Due Monday, October 15, 2007)
1. - Boolean operators
- Databases
- Searches
- Databases that the library is subscribed to
2. The amount of databases that I have to choose from is the most important point. For whatever research the task calls for, I can choose whichever database best suits my needs.
3. I can use Boolean operators whenever I do an internet search. I can use the library resources whenever I research.
4. Obtaining resources has now become a few clicks on a keyboard, rather than lengthy wild goose chases, searching for relevant materials. The time constraints of the research phase have been drastically reduced, allowing for writing to be done much more quickly. As the writing process becomes faster and faster, I am sure that there'll be connection with the growth of information.
- Databases
- Searches
- Databases that the library is subscribed to
2. The amount of databases that I have to choose from is the most important point. For whatever research the task calls for, I can choose whichever database best suits my needs.
3. I can use Boolean operators whenever I do an internet search. I can use the library resources whenever I research.
4. Obtaining resources has now become a few clicks on a keyboard, rather than lengthy wild goose chases, searching for relevant materials. The time constraints of the research phase have been drastically reduced, allowing for writing to be done much more quickly. As the writing process becomes faster and faster, I am sure that there'll be connection with the growth of information.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Thursday, October 11, 2007)
1. Do we profile people based on their age?
2. Do people of differing ages, in general, treat each other differently? If this is true, then why? What about people with similar ages? If this is the case, then why? If we do profile based on age, is it done simply by appearance or by other means?
3. I first asked if the problem existed, then I asked to provide evidence that the problem exists. Furthermore, I asked what the possible cause of the problem may be.
4. My final question is: If this problem exists, then what effect does it have on age groups within society? The question brings the problem out of theory, and into its concrete significance in our world. It's more complex than the original question because the original asks if the problem exists, which can be easily answered with observation; the final question asks why it is problematic, which may have all sorts of possible answers. I could expand the concept of why this question is problematic, to why is anything problematic, and then how can we identify problems... and probably even further.
5. What is profiling and why do we use it? Is profiling ethical, and why? If profiling is an unavoidable reality, then what results of it are our responsibility? And many more questions on profiling and its nature...
2. Do people of differing ages, in general, treat each other differently? If this is true, then why? What about people with similar ages? If this is the case, then why? If we do profile based on age, is it done simply by appearance or by other means?
3. I first asked if the problem existed, then I asked to provide evidence that the problem exists. Furthermore, I asked what the possible cause of the problem may be.
4. My final question is: If this problem exists, then what effect does it have on age groups within society? The question brings the problem out of theory, and into its concrete significance in our world. It's more complex than the original question because the original asks if the problem exists, which can be easily answered with observation; the final question asks why it is problematic, which may have all sorts of possible answers. I could expand the concept of why this question is problematic, to why is anything problematic, and then how can we identify problems... and probably even further.
5. What is profiling and why do we use it? Is profiling ethical, and why? If profiling is an unavoidable reality, then what results of it are our responsibility? And many more questions on profiling and its nature...
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Research Log Entry (due Monday, October 8, 2007)
1. We discussed different types of information; we examined three news sites (FoxNews, CNN, LATimes) to compare the similarities and differences between them; and we did an exercise in which we asked questions based upon an original question.
2. All the points are important to me. Information is the keystone of any society, without it society could not exist. The news is the main source of information on current events for almost all the world; whoever controls the mass media controls the attention of the globe. And questioning is by far the most important, because how could I even know why information or news websites are important to me if I was not able to ask myself the question, why do I think these things are important to me?
3. I think I'll try to find a circumspect arrangement of sources when opinion is involved, in order to reduce bias.
4. Authority is a problem in itself. By what ways do we judge what kind of information has authority, and how do we know we are using good judgement? The use of scientific modes of thought? How do we know scientific thought is sound to begin with? Can experiments be manipulated to achieve a desired result? And what about issues that are beyond the bounds of scientific thought?
Does authority come with a distinguished name and a graduate degree? Is authority a social construct? If it is a social construct, then does authority have any concrete, non-subjective credibility?
5. Topic development leaves a trail of clues, questions, for the sleuth of knowledge. By piecing together this puzzle of questions, she can begin to see the answer that lies within them all. Most people call these sleuths geniuses, but the genius is actually in their method of inquiry.
2. All the points are important to me. Information is the keystone of any society, without it society could not exist. The news is the main source of information on current events for almost all the world; whoever controls the mass media controls the attention of the globe. And questioning is by far the most important, because how could I even know why information or news websites are important to me if I was not able to ask myself the question, why do I think these things are important to me?
3. I think I'll try to find a circumspect arrangement of sources when opinion is involved, in order to reduce bias.
4. Authority is a problem in itself. By what ways do we judge what kind of information has authority, and how do we know we are using good judgement? The use of scientific modes of thought? How do we know scientific thought is sound to begin with? Can experiments be manipulated to achieve a desired result? And what about issues that are beyond the bounds of scientific thought?
Does authority come with a distinguished name and a graduate degree? Is authority a social construct? If it is a social construct, then does authority have any concrete, non-subjective credibility?
5. Topic development leaves a trail of clues, questions, for the sleuth of knowledge. By piecing together this puzzle of questions, she can begin to see the answer that lies within them all. Most people call these sleuths geniuses, but the genius is actually in their method of inquiry.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Questions
We discussed four different types of information in class today: facts, objective, subjective, and opinion. Would room need to be made for another type: ideas? Where would something like German idealism or existentialism fit within those? Ideas as such seem to blur the lines between all four types. What do you think?
Also, we explored both CNN, FoxNews and the LATimes online and I noticed that on the front page of all the sites, the word "Burma" was not mentioned ONCE; and the word "Myanmar" only appears three times: twice on FoxNews, once on the LATimes. Do you find anything wrong with the fact that a government that is murdering its own citizens is hardly even mentioned on a front page where an Olympic athlete is the headline? I'm sure Chomsky's having a field day...
Also, we explored both CNN, FoxNews and the LATimes online and I noticed that on the front page of all the sites, the word "Burma" was not mentioned ONCE; and the word "Myanmar" only appears three times: twice on FoxNews, once on the LATimes. Do you find anything wrong with the fact that a government that is murdering its own citizens is hardly even mentioned on a front page where an Olympic athlete is the headline? I'm sure Chomsky's having a field day...
Thursday, October 4, 2007
2. Research Log Entry
1. How did Socrates die?
2. Google.
3. Socrates death
4. Several sites that describe his trial and death.
5. Altavista, Dogpile, Yahoo, Ask.com, and many others
6. How is Socrates death still relevant today?
2. Google.
3. Socrates death
4. Several sites that describe his trial and death.
5. Altavista, Dogpile, Yahoo, Ask.com, and many others
6. How is Socrates death still relevant today?
Friday, September 28, 2007
1. Research Log Entry
1. Items discussed that I already know:
- Google
- Using quotations on search engines
- Vocabulary (URL, http, etc.)
- Gmail
- Blogger
- Using proper sources in bibliographies
2. Items discussed that are new to me:
- Google Scholar, iGoogle, Google Books, etc.
3. I would consider the (1) authority, (2) angle and (3) topic relevance of my sources.
4. The web is the greatest mass communications medium that champions the ideal of free speech. It's a circus in which everyone can participate, and they can even choose to be the ring master; the clown; the strong man, hell, they can choose to be the lions. Although, most decide to be the audience, stimulating themselves with an emotional kaleidoscope that bizarre carnies the world round have to offer. The only pitfall is that you might not like the show.
- Using quotations on search engines
- Vocabulary (URL, http, etc.)
- Gmail
- Blogger
- Using proper sources in bibliographies
2. Items discussed that are new to me:
- Google Scholar, iGoogle, Google Books, etc.
3. I would consider the (1) authority, (2) angle and (3) topic relevance of my sources.
4. The web is the greatest mass communications medium that champions the ideal of free speech. It's a circus in which everyone can participate, and they can even choose to be the ring master; the clown; the strong man, hell, they can choose to be the lions. Although, most decide to be the audience, stimulating themselves with an emotional kaleidoscope that bizarre carnies the world round have to offer. The only pitfall is that you might not like the show.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)