Tag Archives: resources

CAN YOU RECOMMEND ANY RESOURCES FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON RETRO GAME HISTORY

Leave a reply

One of the most comprehensive resources for researching retro game history is the International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG). Located at The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, ICHEG houses one of the largest collections of digital and electronic games in the world, including hundreds of retro console and computer games from the 1970s through the 1990s. Their physical collection provides an unparalleled opportunity for hands-on research. They also have extensive digital collections, oral histories, conference proceedings, and scholarly publications that can be accessed online. Their website at https://www.icheg.org provides a gateway to explore their collections and is an excellent starting point for any retro game history research project.

Beyond ICHEG’s collection, many libraries and archives hold special collections focused on videogame and computer game history that can offer primary source materials for research. Some particularly notable ones include the New York Public Library’s Maurice Sendak Collection (focused on early computer games of the 1970s-80s), the Library of Congress’s digital games collection, the Strong Museum’s own game collections, archives held by The Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, and collections at places like the Smithsonian Institution, MAME project, and others. Reading room access or use of digital surrogates from these institutions allows researchers to directly examine original game software, manuals, advertisements, developer papers, and more.

Another crucial set of resources are books on video game history. Some landmark texts that provide excellent contextualizing overviews and primary source material include Coffee Break Arcade’s Game History (2017), Raiford Guins’ edited collection of scholarly works Game After: A Cultural Study of Video Game Afterlife (2014), Steven L. Kent’s The Ultimate History of Video Games (2001), and David Sheff’s Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World (1994). Other useful single topic books examine specific consoles, companies, genres, or eras. Many of these titles integrate oral histories, archival research, and first-hand accounts to bring depth and nuance beyond encyclopedic cataloguing.

In the digital realm, websites like Wikipedia, MobyGames, Giant Bomb, and All Game provide broad but shallow histories, release information, reviews, and details on thousands of retro games, developers, and consoles. While not peer-reviewed or authoritative on their own, they can help map the terrain and point researchers towards primary sources. Console-specific enthusiast sites often offer deep dives into particular platforms and exclusive interviews. The unofficial SEGA Retro wiki and KLOV game database also mix aggregated data with original research. Emulation sites provide access to playable ROMs and ISOs, useful for examining and documenting original games.

Beyond published materials, oral histories are a critical method for accessing insider accounts and perspectives not available through other documentation alone. For many no-longer-existent early developers, oral histories may provide the only substantial records of their processes and experiences. Notable oral history projects include the National Museum of Play/Strong Museum’s ScrewAttack oral histories, the Software Conservancy archive, the ICHEG Video Game History Interviews, and individual collections at places like the Museum of the Moving Image. Conducting your own oral histories with seminal developers can yield original source material.

Conferences like DiGRA, FDG, and the Austin Game Conference allow access to scholars actively pushing retro game studies forward through presentations and networking. Social media sites have facilitated grassroots historical preservation efforts and brought together connected global communities of retro gamers and historians. Reddit forums, Facebook groups, and YouTube channels document discoveries, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects.

By leveraging the breadth of these diverse resources—archives, publications, digital platforms, oral histories, conferences, and communities—researchers can gain a multidimensional understanding of retro videogame history through primary artifacts, contextual information, and creators’ own words to develop authoritative, compelling studies that add to our collective understanding of this influential art form and technology’s origins, evolution, and impact. The past deserves deep examination to inform the present and future.

WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES I CAN USE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH FOR MY CAPSTONE PROJECT

Leave a reply

Library Databases – Your college or university library will have subscriptions to many scholarly databases that can be extremely useful for research. Some good ones to start with include JSTOR, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, and Business Source Complete. These databases contain journal articles, reports, and other sources. You can search them by keywords to find relevant materials. Be sure to only use peer-reviewed scholarly sources from these databases.

Google Scholar – This search engine from Google is specifically designed for academic research. It searches scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles. You can set up alerts to receive new articles on your topic as they are published. Be wary of less credible sources indexed here. Stick to .edu and other educational institution domains when possible.

Online Libraries – Beyond your local library, explore digital collections from other major research libraries. Some top ones include the Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, Smithsonian Libraries, and digital collections from Harvard, MIT, Stanford and other top universities. These often have special collections and archives not accessible elsewhere.

Subject Guides – Most academic libraries create subject guides on popular topics compiled by librarians. These are excellent starting points as they contain listings of key databases, references and resources on your specific subject area. Check your library’s website for relevant subject guides. Some general ones could also apply if yours lacks the specific topic.

Government Sources – Federal and state agencies often conduct important research and publish reports on many topics. Sites like the Census Bureau, NIH, CDC, EPA and others are good places to search. Also explore digital collections from the Congressional Research Service or Government Accountability Office.

Conference Proceedings – Many disciplines have regular conferences where new research is often presented before formal publication. Explore conference websites, proceedings published by professional organizations or search conference article databases. Recent conference papers may discuss ongoing work.

Organizational & Association Websites – Sector leaders, think tanks, non-profits and professional associations can shed new light. Search a group’s digital library, policy briefs, reports and statistical resources for reliable data and analysis beyond typical libraries.

Dissertations & Theses Databases – ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and other databases index hundreds of thousands of graduate works, many available in full-text. Theses can provide deeper dives into specialized topics than typical papers. Search by keyword, subject or university.

Inter-Library Loan – If your local library lacks a key source, explore inter-library loan systems. Through agreements between libraries, you may be able to request and receive articles, book chapters and other materials. There may be fees but it expands your reach.

Journal Back Issues – When researching in depth, you may need to examine historical context and trends over decades prior. Some libraries maintain print back issues of key journals that evade easy electronic searching and indexing. Plan visits to search past volumes.

Subject Experts – Once you’ve gathered preliminary research, seek guidance from faculty, librarians or other subject matter experts. They can point out important resources you may have missed or suggest related research avenues and scholarly debates within the field. Consider interviews for unique perspectives.

As you can see, these research sources cover both mainstream library databases and search engines, as well as specialized niche collections not always uncovered in typical starting points. With diligent searching across platforms and exploring all relevant subject areas, you should be able to locate ample high-quality evidence and perspectives to achieve an extensive, authoritative capstone research project that demonstrates your mastery of the topic. Let me know if any part of the research process needs further explanation or guidance.

WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT STUDENTS CAN COLLABORATE WITH FOR THEIR CAPSTONE PROJECTS

Leave a reply

Many colleges and universities have centers, departments, or programs dedicated to connecting students with capstone project opportunities and community partners. Students should check if their institution has an office of community engagement, civic engagement, service learning, or a similar program. These on-campus resources can help match students with local non-profits, schools, government agencies, small businesses, and more who are looking for assistance on meaningful projects. They utilize their connections within the community to play facilitator between willing partners and students seeking real-world experience.

Libraries are another on-campus resource worth exploring. Many academic libraries maintain directories or databases of community organizations and public agencies in their region. They catalogue contact info, missions, areas of focus, and past collaborative efforts. Students can search these virtual directories to find groups addressing issues that align with their passions and academic discipline. Libraries also employ liaisons with specialized knowledge of local non-profits and initiatives happening in different fields like healthcare, education, sustainability that can point students towards worthwhile opportunities.

Beyond their universities, students should research non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, government bodies, and social enterprises working at a city, state, national, or international level on areas related to their major or professional interests. Most have websites listing volunteer and research projects they regularly take on. Students can cold reach out explaining they are seeking a capstone partner and see if any current initiatives fit. An internet search bringing together keywords around their field of study and terms like ” internships”, “volunteer opportunities”, “research projects” can surface many prospective collaborators.

For science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focused projects, considering contacting research laboratories, science centers/museums, technology startups, or engineering consulting firms. Many welcome student collaborations that advance their work. The same applies to design, visual/performing arts, architecture and communications majors investigating arts non-profits, galleries/studios, ad agencies, architecture firms, and more.

For business, economics and management students, chambers of commerce, industry associations, microfinance non-profits, entrepreneurship accelerators are all possibilities. Those in social work, public health, and psychology could partner with mental health organizations, hospitals/clinics, advocacy coalitions, senior facilities, homeless shelters, food banks, and youth programs. History, political science and international studies majors have options like historical societies, think tanks, diplomatic missions, NGOs, and international communities locally.

A number of national non-profits also facilitate student capstone partnerships, offering searchable databases of pre-vetted project ideas. Organizations like AmeriCorps, Bonner Foundation, Points of Light, Project Uplift, GoodCorp, and VolunteerMatch allow students to filter opportunities near them or apply their skills long distance. Some focused networks like Engineers Without Borders or Public Allies specialize in partnerships within technical or social justice fields respectively.

Beyond single capstone projects, some alternative break, fellowship or internship programs run through national non-profits or major philanthropies provide structured team experiences over weeks or months. The Obama Foundation’s Global Leaders Program, Clinton Global Initiative U, Gates Millennium Scholars programs are some embedding students on collaborative community-driven initiatives.

Students should also utilize personal and professional networks like family, friends, professors, alumni to inquire about any organizations they’re involved with that may have project openings. Often the best partnerships emerge organically through word-of-mouth within one degree of connection instead of cold outreach alone. Leveraging who students know expands discovery of hidden collaborative gems.

Ultimately with capstone projects, it’s about finding community partners passionate about the work with flexibility to really invest in the student experience. The more effort put into vetting options, the likelier students are to land engaging, meaningful projects where all parties mutually benefit. A diversity of on and off-campus resources as highlighted can uncover many great community collaborators when persistently explored.

CAN YOU RECOMMEND ANY RESOURCES OR REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING ON CAPSTONE PROJECTS IN PHYSICS

Leave a reply

Capstone projects are an important part of the physics curriculum as they allow students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge by taking on an independent research or design project by the end of their studies. This project is intended to showcase what students have learned throughout their physics education. Here are some recommendations for resources that can provide guidance on capstone projects in physics:

The American Physical Society provides a helpful overview page on their website about undergraduate physics capstone experiences. They describe the purpose of capstones as integrating skills and concepts learned across the curriculum by having students work independently on a project. They suggest capstones involve asking a research question, reviewing the literature, designing and carrying out an experiment or computational work, analyzing results, and presenting findings. The APS page lists examples of potential capstone topics and includes links to reports from various universities on their capstone programs. This is a good starting point for understanding best practices in capstone design.

The Council on Undergraduate Research is another excellent resource that publishes the journal Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly which often features articles on capstone experiences and research in different disciplines including physics. A 2019 article discusses strategies for effective capstone program design and assessment based on a survey of departments. It outlines key components like defining learning outcomes, providing faculty support and guidance, emphasizing oral and written communication skills, and assessing student work. This provides a framework for developing a robust capstone experience.

Individual universities also share details of their successful physics capstone programs. For example, the University of Mary Washington published a report on revisions made to their capstone seminar course to better scaffold the research process. They emphasize starting early in the planning stages, utilizing research mentors, implementing interim deadlines, and incorporating oral presentations. Their model could be replicated at other primarily undergraduate institutions.

Virginia Tech published recommendations specifically for experimental and computational physics capstones. They suggest identifying faculty research projects that align with student interests and skill levels. For experimental work, they stress the importance of carefully designing the experiment, taking and analyzing quality data, and discussing sources of error and uncertainty. For computational projects, they recommend clearly outlining the scientific problem and modeling approach. Both provide valuable guidance for mentoring physics capstone work.

The Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs also provides a case study of redesigned capstone experiences at several universities. They examine the role of capstones in assessing if programs are meeting stated learning goals as well as strategies for implementing change based on program reviews. The case studies give concrete examples of reworked capstone curricula, resources, and assessment practices. This is useful for departments evaluating how to strengthen existing capstone offerings.

For sources focused on project ideation, the physics departments at universities like Carnegie Mellon, William & Mary, and James Madison have compiled lists of example past successful student capstone projects. Reviewing these can spark new research questions and ideas that are well-suited to a capstone timeframe and scope. Browsing conference proceedings from groups like the American Association of Physics Teachers can also uncover current topics and methods in experimental and theoretical physics well-aligned with an undergraduate skillset.

There are many best practice resources available to aid in the development and implementation of effective capstone experiences that enable physics students to showcase their expertise through independent research or design work by the end of their studies. Looking to organizations like the APS and CUR as well as capstone program descriptions and case studies from individual universities provides a wealth of guidance on structuring successful capstone experiences.

WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES I CAN USE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH FOR MY NURSING CAPSTONE PROJECT

Leave a reply

Academic databases – Academic databases are an invaluable resource for nursing research as they contain peer-reviewed scholarly articles, journals, and studies. Some top databases to search include CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and others available through your school library. Using specific search terms related to your topic, you can find current evidence and literature to support your project. When searching, be sure to tailor your searches to find full-text, peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5-10 years.

Institutional repositories – Your university library website likely has an institutional repository that houses theses, dissertations, and capstone projects completed by previous students at your institution. Browsing these can provide you with ideas on how other students have structured their projects and give you an understanding of what is expected for your own work. You may also find previous studies conducted that relate to your topic area. Speaking to a librarian can help you access your school’s repository.

Government websites – Government agencies frequently fund nursing research and publish findings and data on their websites for open access. Resources like ClinicalTrials.gov allow you to see whether any studies relevant to your topic are currently in progress or have recently been completed. Sites like those of the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are good places to search for statistics, data sources, reports, and studies using .govdomain suffixes.

Reference books – Nursing programs commonly have textbooks, handbooks, and nursing references covering a variety of topics in their physical collections. Browsing relevant reference books can expose you to more background information on your topic as well as provide references you may be able to subsequently find full-text online. Speaking to a reference librarian can help identify keywords to search the catalog for applicable titles.

Grey literature – Conferences, organizational reports, dissertations, working papers, and other “grey literature” not published commercially may contain relevant data and findings. Searching sites like ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and EThOS can uncover regional or institutional studies not represented in academic databases. Reaching out to relevant nursing organizations and asking if they have any white papers, reports, or presentations on your topic area can turn up additional documents.

Librarian support – Your institution’s nursing librarian is a knowledgeable expert specifically dedicated to assisting nursing students with research needs. By discussing your capstone topic with the librarian, they can provide customized searching strategies, recommendations for specific databases to target, and suggest additional resources beyond the common ones. Nursing librarians understand best practices for evidence-based projects and are invaluable for helping plan your research approach.

Interlibrary loan – If after exhaustive searching you are still unable to access the full-text of important articles or documents, consider requesting them through your library’s interlibrary loan service. This allows materials not held locally to be borrowed from other participating libraries, significantly expanding your reach. There may be a nominal fee, but it provides access to important sources that could greatly contribute to your project’s literature review.

In addition to these resources, don’t forget to consider consulting any professional associations, relevant organizations, or government agencies that may have statistical snapshots, program data, or reports applicable to your study topic area. Interviewing subject matter experts, as allowed by your school’s IRB process, could uncover valuable insights to address gaps in the available literature as well. Be sure to methodically keep track of your search strategies and all references as you conduct research using a citation manager, to streamline the literature review and references sections later on. Applying a multifaceted approach to searching many types of sources should allow you to become comprehensively informed regarding your nursing capstone project topic.