if you're having trouble fine-tuning the research proposal

Folks:

See header. If you're having trouble fine-tuning your research proposal, let me suggest a couple of strategies that may help jump-start ideas:

(1) Go to the blog and read the various comments and self-descriptions of classmates that I posted. Look especially at the comments and descriptions of those people whose key interests seem to be similar to your own;

(2) Browse through our reading packet and look at the different kinds of topics AND approaches by the various authors: music, dance, song, food, genealogy, place names, language, storytelling, etc; if you find topics that are interesting, read the articles, run web-searches, look in our TTU library database, and find out more;

(3) Visit Wikipedia.org and browse the various topics related to Ireland;

(4) Visit the online magazine "Musical Traditions" and browse their (often very detailed) articles, which also often include images and sound files.

(5) Feel free to post a query or request for ideas to the blog, including whatever thoughts you've already had but also asking for additional feedback--that way, not only I but also classmates can bounce thoughts around.