Research Reflection

1. Where did you find your sources?
   I used Salt Lake Community College’s library resources to query a large number of information. From which I picked five that I concluded to be adequate.
2. In your initial search for sources, did you encounter many possible sources or just a few? Based on how many sources you found, do you think your research question is on the right track? Is it too broad? Too narrow? How might you refine it?
   I found a surprising number of sources. I believed the topic to be too recent for enough research sources but I was obviously wrong. There are many people who have written about net neutrality. My topic is not too narrow or too broad, its a good topic with a rich number of excellent sources.
3. What did you learn from your sources? Did you learn anything that surprised you or particularly interested you?
   I was interested to see how many current articles are written in regards to net neutrality. its reflects on how important the topic really is to today’s world.
4. How has your understanding and/or opinion about your topic changed or expanded?
   I have gained a new perspective for net neutrality. it no longer feels like I am alone in my interest for it. I feel much more emboldened in my resolution to bring this to light.
5. What new questions do you have about your topic?
   What is the FCC doing to improve their ability to enforce net neutrality?
6. How do you think you can incorporate these particular sources into your argument essay?
   These sources will be a good starting spot to argue for the importance of net neutrality and how it pertains to everyone.
7. Where do you plan to go from here? What types of other sources do you want to look for and where?
   I will be looking deeper and wider. I need more scientific related articles, maybe journal entries and or books.

Annotated Bibliography Entries

Lichtman, S. B. (07/01/2010). “Virtual freedom: net neutrality and free speech in the Internet age.”. Choice (Middletown) (0009-4978), 47 (11), p. 2198.

Lichtman delves into the question of how net neutrality will affect our free speech. Primarily it touches on the subject of the first amendment and net neutrality. Since it is a matter of free speech he argues that it is a matter of the first amendment and it should be used to impose net neutrality.

Montgomery, J.D. (2010, June 25). EDITORIAL: Case for net neutrality. Hutchinson News, The (KS). From EBSCOhost database.

In this editorial written by John D. Montgomery, the case for net neutrality is given a local cause and effect scenario. He points out that Kansas is looking to expand its broadband access, and in trying to do so, its local state government officials are falling into the counsel of big company lobbyist. While doing so they are impeding the ultimate progress of their broadband access as their Net Neutrality right are chocked out of them.

Investor’s Business Daily (2010, June 18). “FCC Moves To Regulate Internet.” Investor’s business daily (1061-2890), p. A01.

The article touches on the efforts of the FCC to ensure proper net neutrality. In this article there is an implied understanding of party line partisanship. This assumption is important to understand the larger picture of net neutrality and the politics behind it. Even though the court ruled against the FCC they seem to understand the importance of their role in ensuring proper net neutrality protocols.

Greaney, T.J. (2010, June 17). “Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo., Against The Grain column: For some, free speech comes at a price”. Columbia daily tribune (Columbia, Mo. : 1904) (1543-6535)

Greaney writes an interesting article. He likens net neutrality to free speech, and free speech issues of our current time. The article points to a new trend of thought. A new realization that net neutrality is not a minor issue of our times, but a major issue that requires time, and effort to resolve.

Kessler, A. (2010, June 11). “The iPhone, Net Neutrality and the FCC.”. The Wall Street journal. Eastern edition (0099-9660), 255 (135), p. A19.

Mr. Kessler explains the issue of net neutrality by bringing it down to a local and personal level. How net neutrality, the iPhone, and AT&T all play a role in this issue. Because the carrier can impose a tiered approach to its internet usage to its clients the carrier can have a commanding leverage against high data users. This is what net neutrality wants to avoid. Using internet bandwidth unequally.

Survey/Interview Invention

Survey/Interview Invention

Answer the following questions to help you plan for the survey or interview you will conduct next week:

1. Who do you plan to survey/interview? (if you are conducting a survey you will need aminimum of 10 respondents)
   I plan to survey my peers.
   1. Why did you choose this group/person?
      My peers, mainly friends and family, are extremely internet savvy. Since Net Neutrality is an internet issue it will effect them the most.
   2. How is this group/person related to your research topic?
      They are the group of people that will be most effected by my topic.
   3. How accessible for a survey/interview is your chosen group/person?
      Very. I will use the internet to facilitate my survey.
   4. How do you plan to get your chosen group/person to participate in your research?
      I plan on begging for their cooperation.
   5. What special circumstances do you need to consider for this group/person?
      None. since I will be using surveymonkey to administer the survey.
2. What is the purpose of your survey/interview (what do you hope to learn from it)?
   The general knowledge of Net Neutrality amongst a group of people which is effecting the most.
   1. How will your research benefit from the results of this survey/interview?
      Immensely. one of my points will be to show how little people know about whats happening.
3. How will you conduct the survey/interview?
   Through the internet. People will answer questions and they will be routed to me through emails.
   1. Where will you conduct the survey/interview? Why?
      In cyberspace space. Easy of accessibility and absolutely no paper work.
   2. How long do you expect the survey/interview to take?
      Not longer then 10-15 minutes depending on the answer size.
   3. How will your record the survey/interview results?
      I will use word to properly categorize and analyze the results.
4. How will you analyze the results of your survey/interview?
   By paying close attention to the answers people are giving me and the questions I am asking.
   1. How do you think you will use these results in your paper?
      They will give evidence to my assumption that most people are not aware of the effects of net neutrality.

Survey/Interview Questions

These are the 6 questions that I will be using to administer my survey:

Questions #1: Do you know what net neutrality is?

Question #2: Follow up to question #1: If yes what is it?

Question #3: Why are you pro or against net neutrality? If you currently do not have an opinion, elaborate as to why.

Question #4: Why is net neutrality important to you?

Question#5: Do you believe that net neutrality can effect you? why?

Question#6: Do you believe that the internet should be kept equal? why?

Library Tutorial

Six things that I was not aware about:

1. How in depth you are able to narrow your search options.

2. You can set up a personal folder account at absolutely no charge.

3. When using the index function, make sure you narrow down your options by using the drop down category menu. This will ensure a proper query of the subject.

4. Use the advance search field to add additional limiters.

5. Search results will be saved to your personal folder until deleted. When researching a topic don’t forget to use these saved queries for convenience.

6. The publications search box allows you to look up by the publication house.

Knowledge Inventory

What is your research question?
Why is it important to keep net neutrality?

1. Who are the parties involved in the issue?
   Ultimately everyone. Everyone is effected by this topic. We all use the internet in one way or another and if you don’t, many business do. Some of these business are small and rely on equal internet speed.
   1. Who are the experts?
      The issue has not been researched much. I would say the FCC since they deal with communications.
   2. Who else is talking about the issue?
      A lot of people in the blog-o-sphere. It is an important issue in the internet community.
   3. Who is affected by the issue?
      Again everyone! Everyone now days is effected by the internet in one way or another. whether that be indirectly or directly.
2. What is at stake?
   Our ability to have an equal forum in the internet.
   1. How or why does this issue matter?
      It matter because the internet is one of the most democratic forums in the world currently.
   2. What stands to be gained or lost?
      We might loose our last platform for civil change. The government gains a strangle hold on our exchange of thoughts.
   3. Who is likely to benefit or suffer?
      Big companies and the government will benefit while the general population will loose out.
3. What kinds of arguments are being made about the issue?
   Mainly big companies want a destruction of net neutrality, and everyone else wants to keep net neutrality.
   1. Are people making proposals?
      Yes for the destruction of net neutrality.
   2. Are they trying to define terms?
      In terms of data. its all about the data speed.
   3. What kinds of reasons do they offer?
      Data is money and the more money you have the more data transfer speed you should have as well.
   4. What kinds of evidence are available?
      The current model works, that is evidence enough for them not to change the current system.
4. Who are the audiences for this debate?
   Everyone who is directly or indirectly affected by the internet.
   1. Do people already have strong opinions?
      Very much. The main of the internet community wants to keep net neutrality.  Big companies want to destroy net neutrality.
   2. Are they still trying to make up their minds?
      No. Both sides have a clear understanding of the subject and know where they stand.
   3. How well informed are people about the issue?
      The general population knows nothing about net neutrality.
5. Where is the issue being discussed
   In court rooms, internet forums, and governmental forums
   1. Is the issue being discussed in newspapers and on television?
      Mainly the internet as its the issue strictly related to the internet
   2. Are experts writing about the issue in scholarly journals?
      I am not aware of the answer to this question. I would presume so.
   3. Has the issue been around long enough for books to be published about it?
      I do not believe so. However enough blog, commentary, and internet pages have been created to write and entire encyclopedia
6. What is your role?
   An activist through my writing
   1. Do you already have a position on the issue? What is it?
      Very much. Net neutrality should be kept.
   2. What else do you need to know?
      How companies will make huge amounts of money off this travesty.
   3. What do you think should be done?
      Net neutrality should be kept. Its just the right thing to do.

Argument Topic

In this ever evolving, informative, and capitalistic world. I decided to tackle a topic which I believe to be more important to most of us than we realize. My topic will be Net Neutrality. Please follow me as I usher a new argument for net neutrality.