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Blog Post 5 - Reflection

I have learned a significant amount about designing a sound research study. One of the critical aspects is that it never gets easier, as each study is vastly different and requires a different amount of work. Going into this class, it would be easier because I had already completed a case study and was in the process of conducting research with Joy and Lacy. Still, this project was just as challenging, though not as extensive, as I didn't have to follow through with the proposed study. I also learned that it is very intricate and every detail matters. I could apply any method and obtain a different survey that addresses various aspects of my research question; therefore, it is about selecting one that best fits the purpose the researcher has established. The process is never-ending, and even now, I could go back and edit things.  This has taught me that as a professional communicator, I have a deep interest in continuing research within our field. There are aspects of myself that I...
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Blog Post 4 | Plans for Revision

Since submitting the literature review, I have addressed the suggestions made by Dr. Bacabac and outlined the remainder of the research proposal. As of today, November 3, I met with Dr. Bacabac once more to refine the outline and continue onto creating the research proposal. Furthermore, once I receive the suggestions on my outline I will incorporate them as well. My focus now is on fleshing out the outline until it becomes a research proposal. To do this, I will work section by section, keeping the research questions at the forefront of my mind. Ensuring that everything cycles back into a logical, concise proposal that clearly outlines to the potential researcher how to conduct the research. I also want to be able to revisit the proposal in case the opportunity arises to bring this to fruition. 
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Blog Post 3: Research Gap

For my project, there was a research gap that included the lack of ethical advocacy of Alaskan Natives on a company level. Reflecting back on advocacy seen in real life in corporations, there is an emphasis on the LGBTQ+ community, Black History Month, and Climate Change, but when does that cross the line of exploitation for a profit gain? During my research that utilized the technical communication journals, there was limited amount of information about ethical advocacy for Indigenous populations, let alone the more specific focus on the Alaskan Native population. What I did find were various accounts on how to conduct research on Indigenous communities and current feelings on past research encounters. That paired with how companies portray their advocacies, led me down the path to the crater of missing information, and a solution that could potentially help guide companies or individuals on how to ethically advocate in partnership to Alaskan Natives on a business level.  To recap...
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Blog Post 2 | Tentative Sources

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 After days of contemplation, I have narrowed my research question to The Ethics of Advocating for Social Change in Corporations: Sealaska. I am interested in investigating how a for-profit organization can ethically advocate for the Southeast tribes of Alaska and facilitate social change while maintaining its status as a business. I wanted to look into how they are communicating with their shareholders, and how they can rally their following through newsletters and social media. I am still looking through the site and at the sources to see if that gives me a clearer line of sight for this project, as I feel like this is still a messy topic.  Tentative Sources: Dragga, S. (1997). A question of ethics: Lessons from technical communicators on the job: TCQ.  Technical Communication Quarterly,  6 (2), 161. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/question-ethics-lessons-technical-communicators/docview/215439738/se-2 Guo, C., & Saxton, G. D. (2013). Tweeting Social...
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Blog Post 1 | Topic Interest

 I spent the past two semesters in and out of class working on an article about online cookies, and since that has been submitted, I decided to shift my attention to something that has more meaning to me. I am a Tsimshian Indian from Alaska, and a big part of that is the regional Alaska Native Corporation: Sealaska. Giving something back to a corporation that was put in place to serve the communities, heritage, and land significant to Natives in Southeast Alaska would make the blood ties feel stronger and fulfilling. The only problem is that I can fill the different roles they need, but finding a research method is tricky. Like everyone in this class, I want to research ethically. So, finding a goal that serves an ethical advocacy position is difficult.  What I know without a doubt: I want to research Sealaska. I have interests in communication, discourse, advocacy, collaboration, user experience, and design. What I don't know: how to pinpoint a research goal or question withi...
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