Web-Based Conflict Research Tutorials
Social Justice Page 2: What Kind of Information Should I Seek,
and Where Should I Look for It?
Now that you have gotten your hands
dirty and have tried to seek out information about Jobs with Justice, their
"Justice for Janitors" program, and the current context of the
conflict, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the sheer bulk of information
available on the Internet. Your next task is to discover which information is
best suited and of adequate quality for your current needs and objectives.
Firsthand information is likely
the most reliable and useful. However, because you cannot travel all over the
country or world to seek out the information you need, you will need to locate
the best sources available, given time, money, and geographic constraints.
Although there are no hard and fast rules about finding the best or most
reputable information for your search, there are some general factors to
consider before you spend too much time looking in the wrong or inappropriate
places. (See Table
2.)
The first question you must ask
yourself is: What exactly am I looking for? By not asking this question, you may
spend a considerable amount of time sifting through information that is
irrelevant or peripheral to the conflict.
Assignment: Finding the Right Sources
- Read Table 2.
- Find three books pertaining to workers' rights
movements by
using a library or online bookstore search engine.
- Search CRInfo.org for three articles, three websites,
and three organizations that focus on labor disputes or workers' rights
conflicts.
- Search BeyondIntractability.org for one or more articles/essays on topics relevant to labor disputes or workers' rights conflicts.
- Supersites (also called libraries, databases,
information sources, or resource pages) are large, comprehensive websites
with a variety of detailed resources on a particular issue, topic, or
conflict. Try to Locate two or three of these Internet supersites pertaining to your
conflict (i.e. if you are looking for supersites with information on contemporary
workers' struggles, search for general "labor dispute supersites"
or "labor dispute resources" first). Then, begin searching
for supersites pertaining to more specific dimensions of your conflict, such
as "service industry labor history supersites". Note: it is possible that
supersites for your particular topic may not yet be available via the
Internet.
- Which of the sources provided the best information for your
search? Why?
Once finished with this assignment, go on to the next
page. Click here to go back to page 1.
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