Questions, questions, questions.

Transitioning from topic to research question can be difficult. What specific aspects of the topic do you want to focus on, why does this aspect matter and how will your findings affect readers are just a few questions one must ask when developing a good research question. After reading the first two chapters of A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations, I’ve been able to focus on the core concept of my topic that I’m interested in, using technology in a museum setting to create a better visitor experience for individuals with autism, and do further research to develop my research question.

When looking at my project idea for a thesis (described in an earlier post), my first question had to be “why is a phone app the most effective way to execute a project like this?” In one article I read, Educational and digital inclusion for subjects with autism spectrum disorders in 1:1 technological configuration by Lucila Maria Costi Santarosa and Debora Conforto, the researchers found that phones and other personal touch screen devices were by far preferred by their subjects.

Photo: creative commons

With this fact confirmed not just by this source but several others, I knew that my project was certainly feasible and could be very useful. So, I proceeded to come up with my research question.

As per the Manual for Writers, I knew my research question needed to encompass two things: what did I want to find out about the topic and why would the answer to this question be useful to readers; or, why does this question matter? After thinking about it for a few days, I came up with the following question: How can museums utilize a downloadable app for personal devices to provide a more inclusive and sensory-friendly experience for individuals with autism?

I’m very excited to continue my research and work on my thesis. Any suggestions or comments, as always, are greatly appreciated.

Blog Post #3

Alas, I have decided on a topic for my Senior Thesis. I’ve decided to follow my passion for Buffalo Sports History. My working research theme is “Why build a Sports Museum in Buffalo?: The Importance of Sports Tourism”. As I began the process of looking for peer-reviewed journals and book publications I realized, research takes time. Not every journal that I initially thought would be helpful ended up being useful in supporting my thesis. After, reading “Viewpoint: When Tourism is History: Travel and the Construction of the Past in Cooperstown, New York,” I realized this topic focused more about the revitalizing of the village of Cooperstown rather than the construction of the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is time for me to find journal dedication to the sports hall of fame and museums, such as “Developing a Sport Museum: The Case of Tennis Australia and the Tennis Heritage Collection” by Kellett, Pamm and Anne-Marie Hede. 

    The journal I previously mentioned, “provides background literature from both academic and industry research regarding sport museums that must be analyzed to support decisions about the development and introduction of Tennis Heritage Collection." (1)This journal proves to be valuable because it describes numerous fundamental questions in order to start a new successful museum:      Location? Can the museum create an alliance with the existing team? Target market and audience? 

This article outlines the plan that Janice, the Manager of Special Projects, used to start the Tennis Museum of Australia. 

    The second journal I read is titled “The National Hockey League and Cross-Border Fandom: Fan Substitution and International Boundaries” by Brian Mills and Mark S. Rosentraub. The journal collected data that showed the demographics of Buffalo Sabres Fans, especially pertaining to Canadians, about “15% of attendees at Buffalo Sabres home games travel from Canada” (2). What I found most interesting from this article, is that Canadians seems to unaffected by the obstacles of crossing the border such as tolls and possession of a passport (3). Using this data, it is logical to assume that a fair amount of attendees to the proposed museum will come from Canada, and certain exhibits can be catered to them. This paper is useful for my research because museums want to cater to their demographics. It is essential to know the local sports team demographic because they are mostly like going to be the one visiting the museum.      

 (1) Kellett, Pamm and Anne-Marie Hede. "Developing a Sport Museum: The Case of Tennis Australia and the Tennis Heritage Collection." Sport Management Review 11, no. 1 (2008): 115.

(2) Mills, Brian M. and Mark S. Rosentraub. "The National Hockey League and Cross-Border Fandom: Fan Substitution and International Boundaries." Journal of Sports Economics 15, no. 5 (2014): 497.

(3) Ibid, 509.