BAPP Task 3c Sources of Information

The task 3c of the Module 1 of the BA (Hons) in Professional Practice at the Middlesex University consists of identifying your current 5 most important sources of information and create a post about them in our blogs, also should we should include references to other student´s posts and how

They might be useful to us and we need to reflect about any copyright or confidentiality issues that may be involved in the sources that we have chosen.

Nowadays there are many sources of information, in fact this is the time that humanity has had information so easy accessible, thanks to a worldwide connection called Internet. In my case when I am developing a new work (Choreography, articles, research….), there are many sources of information that I try to use, so I can be as accurate as possible, I use a mix between the traditional way of getting information (Books, magazines, photography…) and the new technological ways (Google, Social Media….), therefore these are my 5 main sources of information and the order that I use them:

1- Google

When I am starting a new work, a new process of creation of something, I always start by searching it on Google, it gives me a brainstorm of ideas, a bunch of information that I will have to order while the process of creation is being developed, for me is key to have many different ideas about that specific project so the process of creation consists of putting all the pieces of that “puzzle together”.

https://design.google.com/articles/evolving-the-google-identity/

2- Wikipedia

Usually when I type the subject in Google, one of the first entrances is Wikipedia, the biggest encyclopaedia ever created, with millions of articles in dozens of language. When you are doing an academic essay, usually Wikipedia is forbidden, due to its inaccuracy. However, I think it is a mistake, because Wikipedia is not a place where you will find the most accurate information about the subject that you are looking for, it is a starting point so you can develop it by yourself by using more specific sources of that subject (Magazines, webpages….) But I´m favourable of the use of Wikipedia as a starting point for a research, of course not to take all of the information of it as accurate, or to quote phrases from Wikipedia. Because this is the goal of Wikipedia, a starting point, a link between all the human knowledge, that with decades it will be developed to be more accurate.

3- Social Media

Also when you type on Google your subject of research are on the first entrances that you will see, for me is very interesting to see those, not only to see the information that they post about their work (Companies, dancers, writers….) but also for the network that they have created between them with other creators, audience…. It is a great tool to expand your own knowledge about that subject by observing that so you can increase your own network too.

http://iconion.com/posts/social-media-icons/

4- Books, Magazines & Printed works about that theme

After I have done the first research through the new technological way (Google, Social media…), it is time to transform this brainstorm of ideas into a much more defined work, therefore, I use more specific sources of that subject (Books, Magazines, essays…) in order to increase my knowledge of it, as well as to contrast the information that I already have about it, so I can have as many point of views, so I can create my own.

http://www.mhpbooks.com/how-do-you-read-books-faster/

5- Multimedia Resources (Films & Documentaries) about that theme

In this last process of ordering my ideas, multimedia resources are key, because  “a photography speaks more than a thousand words”, therefore by looking or viewing something it will give some ideas or another point of view that will improve your work, it is a very important source to complete your work.

In terms of Copyrights issues and Confidentiality I must say that when you are using a source of information you need to acknowledge that, you need to prove where this information is coming from.

Finally I would like to re-say how important it is to have a wide range of sources of information, it will be many different points of view and a much more accurate and interesting work that you will create.

Gonzalo