information literacy

My initial question for my topic was more of an interest in the technology field, as that is my chosen career field. As a women, I became interested in what that field would be like going into and what obstacles I might face. It has only been in the last 60 years or so that women have been able to go into the workforce, and I understand that sexism is still a major factor against a working woman. I knew from my own experience that STEM fields - that is, science, technology, and mathematics, - are very male dominant. I decided to research on why the STEM fields are typically male operated compared to women. A good research question is guiding in your research and focused (How to Write a Research Question). A solid question can be turned into a thesis based upon again, the ability to be proven or refuted. 

My audience would be my classmates and those interested in the issues faced by women in the workforce. I needed to consider not seeming too harsh with my question or come off too strong with what I was doing. I had to take my fellow students' criticisms and insight into account in order to broaden my horizons and reach a greater audience. 

I have overcome the issues of finding credible sources, ones that are written by experts or people who are familiar with the technological field. I have also had to overcome dealing with my own knowledge on the subject and not letting that butt in on my research. I have had to take into account that not everyone is going to understand the lingo I use without explanation. A good habit to adopt is to reflexively describe the terms being used in a way that makes sense to everyone so I might reach a greater audience. 

I would advise other students to listen to those around them as you might not realize that even if they are not doing the same thing as you, they can offer great insight to your work that you may not even realize. 

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