informal communication : gather data and develop a thesis

discussion lists | news sources | official and government publications | statistical sources | research data | archives and archival materials | country-specific Web directories | "invisible" colleges

Description: New knowledge creation begins on a foundation of received, generally accepted knowledge (see links for semi-formal and peer-review). The researcher either collects new data or reevaluates existing data in order to discover new knowledge, confirm, modify or refute previous assumptions and theories, and propose new conclusions.

Types of informal REECAS communication

Discussion lists
Specialized listservs exist for every discipline or interest and have varying functions. Some are strictly informational and serve to distribute announcements (of upcoming conferences, new publications, etc.) to their subscribers. Others are meant to accommodate the exchange of ideas among subscribers. If the subscriber list is very large, or if the list moderator does not enforce high standards, the listserv postings become unfocused and amateurish. In that case, serious scholars may withdraw and establish their own, highly restricted, or even unpublicized discussion list.

News sources

Official and government publications

Statistical sources

Research data

Archives and archival materials

Country-specific Web directories and browsers

"Invisible colleges"
"Invisible colleges" are research communities that share an interest in a common subject or discipline and communicate informally about it. The "college" is made up of a relatively small group of individuals who function as the scholarly in-group within a given specialization; and most of the significant research within that specialization is usually produced by its members. This research is facilitated by the informal exchange of information through contacts within this social/professional network. Much of this shared information is in the form of informal correspondence (e-mail, phone calls, personal conversations, etc.), information that is largely inaccessible to anyone but the individuals directly involved and typically is not authoritative "evidence" for research findings because it can seldom be retrieved at a later date (except by law enforcement officials) for verification and use.

Personal communication
Conversations, memos, e-mail, letters, phone calls, and other informal communication are prime examples of the type of information sources that are largely inaccessible to anyone outside of the individuals who engage in them directly. While conversations and phone calls may be overheard by others, they are not authoritative "evidence" for research findings and can seldom be retrieved at a later date (except by law enforcement officials) for verification and use.

STRENGTHS———
  • Currency -- allowing you to "listen in" to hot topic debates and collect information on current issues and directions before they even reach the research arena, let alone the stage of formal publication.
  • May provide an opportunity to see how research really takes place, the sometimes messy progress of a project before it comes together, becomes formalized, and enters the mainstream of the disciplinary knowledge base.
  • Permits discovery of names and contact information of people with whom you may share a common interest within the field, or who may have collected otherwise inaccessible data useful to your work.
  • May permit discovery of "gray literature" -- difficult-to-find or previously undiscovered materials
  • May help to identify areas for potential new research.
CONSIDERATIONS—
  • Phone calls, most personal e-mail, diaries, letters, conversations, and other ephemera are (and will likely remain) off-limits to any but their immediate audiences. Letters and diaries of noted individuals are occasionally published posthumously.
  • Web discussion lists, listservs, bulletin boards, and even chat-based communication often have searchable archives but they are of variable quality.
  • A lack of formal vocabularies and a frequent focus on issues not yet fully articulated through formal research and writing may make searching for what you need an adventure and a discovery. Searching and reading this material usually requires a high level of familairity and comfort with a subject and its most recent developments or concepts.
  • This is information that has yet to pass through appropriate filtering or screening processes, perhaps even not as clearly thought out and connected to the knowledge base as it may eventually be. Consider whether this information may be disproven or discarded as insignificant — can you tell?
  • In cyberspace, everyone has a tendency to appear an "expert." What do you know about the person whose work you read? This material places a premium on your ability to evaluate disciplinary information and its creators and owners.

Selected resources for finding informal REECAS communication

Discussion lists

AnthEurasia-L
an unmoderated discussion list for anthropology in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
Subscribe to AnthEurasia-L >>
(in the body of your e-mail to the host server, write: subscribe AnthEurasia-L)

Various listservs devoted to Central Asian studies sponsored by the Harvard Program on Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Subscribe to Central-Asia-Harvard lists >>

Economic History of the Eastern Bloc Countries
a discussion list devoted to the economic and social history of individual countries and the region. Focus is on the period from 1945 to 1989/90.
Subscribe to Economic History of the Eastern Bloc Countries >>

H-RUSSIA Listserv
a moderated discussion list devoted to Russian history.
Subscribe to H-Russia >>

HABSBURG
a moderated discussion list devoted to the history and culture of the former Habsburg possessions.
Subscribe to Habsburg >>

RUSARCHIVE-L
is a discussion list for individuals who use (or plan to use) Russian archives for research. This site at the University of Warwick in England provides information on subscribing.
Subscribe to RUSARCHIVE-L >>

In Russian & East European Studies Department offices
By making appointments with faculty in Russian & East European Studies (or, indeed, even hanging out in the departmental office) one can be present when conversation and activity relevant to specific research is taking place. Some faculty are less inclined to discuss this information with students until it is formally concluded; but others will share freely with those who express a scholarly interest.
Go to the UW Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies Center >>

Searching help >> Research 101 >>

Use Catalyst Portfolio Tool to build your own bibliography of informal REECAS communication >>