Moving in every direction

It’s obvious that the typology I proposed earlier on research approaches to blogging is too simple, though I’ve just found something similar in an article from 2005 (Lawson-Borders, G. & Kirk, R. (2005). “Blogs on Campaign Communication,” in American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 548, Dec 2005, Sage). They distinguish three approaches to research on blogging: Blogs as social diaries, blogs as organizational tools and blogging viewed as a sort of participatory journalism.

From the perspective of educational science something is missing in that list(: On the other hand: blogs as organizational tools is quite similar (or identical) to using blogs in educational contexts, when this means using them as a form of LMS (Learning Management System). But there is another strand within educational research that is focusing on the language use in blogs, and how blogging may boost the learning of literacy (for instance Huffaker, D. A. (2004). The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom)

In surveying the field one could also use other distinctions. Descriptive research differs from prescriptive (action oriented) research (though the lines may be blurry). Some see potential changes in their branch (typically journalism). Some see another chance for preaching about technological enhancement of learning and educational processes. It is somewhat self-oriented to only ask what a new thing might do to you. It is somewhat upside down to continually ask what new things may to for you.

At the moment I’m progressing without direction; getting closer to a target that surrounds me, rather than being some specific point. And maybe Monty Python's Quest for the holly grale wasn't just absurd after all?