Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Greetings!

Greetings WRD students and welcome to my research blog.

I'll be updating this space throughout the semester as we work through our major research projects. It should also give you some idea of the types of things I am looking for in the research blogs that you will be producing over the next several months.

As a first entry, I submit a photo from a trip to Clark County this summer.
This image raises a number of questions for me. First, why the old cannon? Second, why is the field empty? Third, when was it taken? Fourth, who took it? And why?

Luckily, I can answer most of these. The cannon is from a rarely-visited park commemorating the Union defense of the Kentucky River during the Civil War. It looks abandoned because it is a significant hike to get to the field and it is not a popular tourist destination. I took it this July to help myself remember the terrain and a pleasant day trip with my wife.

These might seem like unimportant questions with inconsequential answers, but they can actually serve as the launching point for a sustained and in-depth research project. Your own research blog will trace a similar journey from first steps through final product. 

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