If you are just getting started with online research, there are some things that are handy to know, and a few tools you might like to set up for yourself.
Readings for Discussion
- Turkel, “Going Digital“
Background Readings
- Cohen, “Professors Start Your Blogs,” DanCohen.org (21 Aug 2006)
- Deevybee, “A Gentle Introduction to Twitter for the Apprehensive Academic,” BishopBlog (14 Jun 2011)
- Kaufman, “An Enthusiast’s View of Academic Blogs,” Inside Higher Ed (1 Nov 2007)
- Kotsko, “A Skeptic’s Take on Academic Blogs,” Inside Higher Ed (1 Nov 2007)
Assignment
If you have not already done so, go to WordPress or Blogger and create an account and a blog. If possible, create the blog under your own name; if not, choose something professional sounding. Post an introductory message about yourself and then send me the URL of your blog so that I can add you to the course blogroll for History 9808A. You should also go to Twitter and create an account under your own name. Send me your Twitter user name.
Now you can begin to connect with an online community. Go to your Twitter account and follow all of the feeds of your classmates. (I am keeping a list of class Twitter accounts here). You can use a web browser to follow Twitter, but you might find that a Twitter application or widget is more convenient. If you haven’t done so already, add the blogs of your classmates to the blogroll on your own blog. Next, go to the list of history blogs at the History News Network and find at least four or five blogs that look interesting to you and are related to your own research interests. Add those to your blogroll, too. Then set up an RSS feed reader like Google Reader, NetNewsWire or FeedDemon so you can follow the blogs on your blogroll without having to check every site one-by-one to see what is new.
William J Turkel 