Well, I'm going off topic again. I've been doing this for a little less than two months, and I have some observations about the process I'd like to share.
First, I think a weblog is the most appropriate forum for me to conduct this research. I will probably test the waters to see if I can get a book out of this, but the ability to hyperlink, the opportunity to write conversationally as I work, the tagging feature of categories (as opposed to the rigidity of chapters), all have made this an easier job for me--something I can do nights and weekends--rather than a herculean labour.
Second, after everybody gets tired of using weblogs to recount their previous night's drinkng exploits, I think that efforts such as this will become the best use of weblogs. I'm not doing anything here that you could not do, if you are reading this. I've put up my principal sources of information and the major tools I use for reference, and if you want to do your own work or fact-check mine-or even take it further, I'll be happy to help in any way I can.
Lastly, as a non-academic (but one who has been exposed to a lot of academic publishing), I recognise that the work I'm doing here is not sufficient to be authoritative. However, I'm trying to ensure that if this stimulates the conversation on the topic adequately for institutional investigation, any researcher will be able to start from a higher point than if I had not done this. And you know what? That's enough for me.
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