Personal
Theoretical
Cultural
Historical
Personal
Stake your ground! Who are you to do this? What is your
background? What do you personally want to get out of it?
What experiences / hobbies / passions do you have that drive
your interest in this area?
Theoretical
Who are your guru's? Who are the key figures related to the
area you will work in? What books are related to the ideas
of your research?
Cultural
Who would be interested in your work? Who does it impact?
Do you have a specific audience / user group in mind? What
is the context of your work: is it specific to a place /
time. Who are the "power brokers" that govern the field?
What environment can your work thrive in -- (a la mongrel,
what kind of simple structures could combined in an
environment where something, potentially surprising, might
occur?)
Historical
What work has occured in this area? What are the influential
works of this area and how do they relate to your interests.
Making the Notebook
Collect, Organize, Cross-link, Document, Discuss / Reflect,
Synthesize / Linearize
Theory:
Collect quotes/source material from researchers /
theoreticians in related fields.
Technologies: webcam, MIDI, iPod/mp3, mobile phone, cameras,
notebook (as something truly portable) telephony, scanning (all sorts), image
generation / processing, image capture, time lapse, GSM/SMS,
bluetooth, radio, skype, chat, streaming, CCTV /
surveillance, wireless video, kites (spykiting), automatic
generation of playlists / media players, transportation
systems
PLANNING
Learning Resources:
Collect learning resources: online texts / guides, books
Separate "projects" or threads of your research
(what can be done in parallel, what parts need to happen in sequence?)
Starting Points
What would be a (readily do-able) next step to proceed in
your research.