Every so often my brain actually works. And it's usually between 3 and 4am.
I've been agonizing over my thesis topic for months. It isn't that I don't enjoy the topic I chose, but I feel as though I can't look at it freshly. Not to mention the fact that other people have done variations of my topic for *their* theses and dissertations. So I'm not exactly inventing the wheel with my topic.
It occurred to me at about 3:20am that I need to switch things around a little so I can regain my enthusiasm. I also need to do something that doesn't require 4 hours of driving every time I want to do a little research.
Then it hit me. I should just look at my hometown to see how it reacted to the turmoil of the 1960s. I know there was a Black Panthers headquarters here and the women's movement had to have touched people here in some way. Plus, I get the local politics angle I want and the conservative reaction to the movements. Oral histories would be far easier to get and, as far as I know, no one has touched this topic. I could also see what the Lima papers say during this time (since I have a connection ... *hint hint*).
It would be worth it to see if there is a story there. Maybe there isn't, but if I could find one, it'd save me a lot of heartache and trouble.
I've been agonizing over my thesis topic for months. It isn't that I don't enjoy the topic I chose, but I feel as though I can't look at it freshly. Not to mention the fact that other people have done variations of my topic for *their* theses and dissertations. So I'm not exactly inventing the wheel with my topic.
It occurred to me at about 3:20am that I need to switch things around a little so I can regain my enthusiasm. I also need to do something that doesn't require 4 hours of driving every time I want to do a little research.
Then it hit me. I should just look at my hometown to see how it reacted to the turmoil of the 1960s. I know there was a Black Panthers headquarters here and the women's movement had to have touched people here in some way. Plus, I get the local politics angle I want and the conservative reaction to the movements. Oral histories would be far easier to get and, as far as I know, no one has touched this topic. I could also see what the Lima papers say during this time (since I have a connection ... *hint hint*).
It would be worth it to see if there is a story there. Maybe there isn't, but if I could find one, it'd save me a lot of heartache and trouble.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-01 06:12 pm (UTC)