Refining and Defining

I met with my supervisor again who picked up my slight stress levels ... smiling, she told me to relax - I've got three years for the project - I don't have to have all the answers (or even the question?) right now! Good - as I'm still very much refining and defining the scope of my research. And it's difficult as, on the one hand as a researcher I should be open and neutral to unexpected findings and possibilities, yet on the other hand, one scheduled research task involves stating my hypothesis and taking a position.

Part of my research involves the impact of technological change upon the underpinning values/principles/philosophies of criminal justice. I need to work out what those values are and are they worth keeping?

Questions for this week:
1. what are the values embedded in the oral tradition of the embodied voice of the criminal justice system?
2. what's happening to that oral tradition in terms of courtroom technology?
3. evaluation and assessment of changes

I also have to start refining my research methodologies e.g. do I want to observe video links between prisoners / corrective services and courts? If so: ETHICS CLEARANCE! The method I use will be dictated by the question I ask; but the method can also help to refine the question.

What type of thesis do I want to write? Purely academic versus one more engaged with current practices (I prefer the latter).

We decided finally that my focus for the next few weeks should be to trace a genealogy of oral testimony in the criminal justice system; explore the philosophy through legal and criminological texts and related fields.

So I'm off doing that, having finally managed to wrangle EndNote into submission (I think).