I just finished doing some revising on my proposal, which went well. However, i can't help but feel that my topic isn't original enough. I feel like I am finding so much research because it has already been done. I can't just change now though. So what I plan on doing is going into Dr. Lorde's office hours tomorrow to go over my proposal ( because it is in desparate need of help ) and also to discuss my topic. I don't want to go in and ask her to tlel me what to do, but i do need some suggestions or direction. I'm sure I can do something with all of this research I have done. I tried to go in last week but we had the library research project in the APC so I was unable to meet wiht her, so I really hope this week works out because the proposal is due Wednesday and I don't want to be "married" to a topic that is not going to work out. Well I'll let you know how it goes ! See ya !

Hey there !
Just here to give you an update on my progress. I have found my narrowed down research question, that being, "How does the medias ability to play on insecurities affect women's psyche? I have found a couple new articles thanks to the library research project we did in class. I have recently come across a few new interesting books as well. The most interesting book i found is titled : The Girl on the Magazine cover: The Origins of Visual Stereotypes in American Mass Media. I just recently received it from the library and intend to read the whole thing for not only research purposes, but only for personal purposes. I will keep you updated on the book as I read it. The other books I have found contain interesting chapters, but as a whole are not worth reading entirely. Overall my research is going very well and I feel like I am finally on track. I plan to got up this weekend or the following weekend to check our their library and see if i can find any more interesting literature to add to my research folder.

I'll keep you updated ! Bye now !

Hello there !
I haven't written in a while so I thought I'd better get on to doing that. NOt too much has gone on in the past week. In my last post i had mentioned my topic of women in the media. As of right now my research has consisted of mainly researching mass media. I have found some great background information through Acidemic Search Premier.
The other day we spent the hour going through everyones topics which was really interesting to see where people are headed with there papers. Yesterday we talked about probably the best topic ever. A girl had chosen the topic of Sex, more specifically sex toys. The discussion lasted at least 30 minutes and the possiblities of where the paper could go were endless. Dr. Lorde had so many and it was one of the best discussions in an english class I have ever been witness to. After hearing this topic was so jealous that i didn't think of something so great. I hope to read that paper and see what direction it was taken in. As for my specific direction I am still a bit shakey, but i have some concrete research done so I am not that far behind. Dr. Lorde brought up a good point of how the media plays on our fears to get us to buy products. After she said this it really made me think. I knew she was exactly right and wondered how i could turn that into a research question. I think I will check the PsycINFO database to see what kind of information I can come up with to help lead me to a research question.

Update ya later !
bye !

Finally it has come, my topic ! I was sitting down with my mom and we got on the subject of my research paper and my ongoing quest for a topic. I told her of my original topic of music and my latest idea of anxiety experienced in a school setting. She thought both were interesting , but wasn't sure about either one for me. I started to ramble off new ideas and finally found one that I think I really work with. My idea is talking about the media, more specifically magazines and how nearly all ads in them have a woman displaying a product or in someway associated with the product. Why are woman so played up in magazines? What has caused this? I am so glad to have finally come up with a topic, and all it took was sitting down and bouncing ideas off another person. I think that was my problem was I was so focused on myself and finding a topic that interested me. I was too close minded, but the initial stress of finding a topic has been lifted. Though I had done research on both of my previous topics it was not all in vain, I did learn some interesting new information and may possibly revisit those topics in the furture on my own. As of right now I have soe major refining and tweaking to do with my topic to find the right question. Not to mention get on top of research and finding books ! AHH. Yikes this is going to be a long week/weekend, but hopefully I'll be able to catch up !

I'll post updates as they come along !
Ta ta !

So to be honest at first I thought writing a blog dedicated to my research paper was a bit silly. I mean a journal okay, but an online blog who on earth would be interested in reading about my research paper? However, now that I know I have a few readers I almost feel inspired to keep everyone updated on my progress. I may even start my own personal blog and write about whatever, it seems like a great was of expression I completely understand bloggers now, how close-minded of me to think so little of blogging. Anyways I'm still on the perfect topic hunt. To be honest I think it is the whole thought of writing the paper that is hindering me from choosing a topic and cracking down on it. One of my biggest fears in the world is writing. Some people are terrified of public speaking, well I'm terrified of writing. I mean sure I can sit down here and write this blog, but when it comes to any kind of formal writing for a class I freak out. When I have to write a paper I feel like there is a weight on my chest, my mind goes completely black, and it is just the worst feeling in the world. I tell myself that I just need to take it all in baby steps, but I can't seem to get that overwhelming feeling to go away. I am thinking of doing some research on anxiety, more specifically its ties with the setting of school. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way about writing. As for what database I will use, I plan on starting out with EBSCO, because it is my favorite , and then possibly using the Psych database. I plan on doing this research for myself, but with the hope of also turning it into a topic. I feel it is something that affects me as well as interests me and I would like to know more about. I would like to know quite a bit more about in fact. So i really hope that researching this issue will turn out to be my coveted topic that i have been searching for as well as gain knowledge on a topic that seems to stunt my writing, like killing two birds with one stone. I am certain by now all of you who are reading this are sick of my indecisiveness, and for that I am sorry. I am just as fed up with myself as you are I promise. I am already behind and the actual writing process hasn't even begun yet. Ughhh again, WHY CAN'T I JUST DO THIS?! Someone knock some sense into me please !

I'm back already, I'm sure you can't get enough of me. So i checked the discussion board and Dr. Lorde had talked about how she has had students in the past with a similar subject and they didn't seem to like it as research went on. This is just further steering me away from my current topic. Though I have put time into researching I think this is a better time than any to rethink my topic and pick a new one, back to square one.I really didn't think that picking a topic that interested me would be so difficult, though i may jsut be making it harder than it should be (something i tend to do quite often). I'm not too sure if I still want to do something with music or if i want to start completely fresh, guess i'll have ot sleep on that one. I have so many interests so now when it comes down to it why can't i just think of one ?! gahhh oh well I'm sure it will come to me in time, which will hopefully be soon I need to start looking for books. I think I will just let it sit and hit it hard tomorrow when i have a fresher, more clear mind.

Ta ta for now !

I've got internet once again wooo hoo !
haha I know that I probably only have one reader (that being you Mo) so i guess my lack of internet hasn't affected too many. But in the off chance I have anyone else following me I guess I'll give an update to my progress on my topic hunt. I've been checking EBSCO (my favorite database) for information on my topic and so far have found a great deal of articles hundreds in fact. However, with having this great deal of articles, only means i have a great deal of sifting to do. As I look through the articles I find that most of them have more to do with either music or drug addiction. I haven't found too many that talk about both that are worht using. I still have to play around with my wording till I find the perfect one that will find me the articles I'm looking for. I thought I was pretty experienced with working wiht databases, but I guess not. I'm sure i'll get better, and get better at my phrasing. At this point I am very glad that we are not "married" to our topics yet. Though I am enjoying the search, I am still not 100% sure this is the right topic for me. Possibly as I do more research on this topic, another will arise and "speak" to me. haha Well now that I've got my internet back I'll have to check out on what I missed in the cyber world.
That's all for now. see ya !