The Craft of Research

Welcome to “The Craft of Research,” the official research blog for the Fall 2012 Craft I class of David Lewis and Ellen Tumposky. It’s the spot for research lessons, handouts, assignments, news, tips and whatever else comes up during the semester.

My name is Jack Styczynski and this is my fifth year as a research adjunct at the J-school. If you desire a full résumé, click here.

Outside of work, I’m a huge college hoop-head and unabashed New Orleans Saints fan.  (Bounty system?  Too bad it didn’t work.  Saints defense couldn’t kill an ant.)

In fact, I love everything New Orleans, from the Saints to the food to the music.

I’m also more than happy to groove to gospel, disco or classic soul.

Now get ready for a barrel of fun! In short order, you’ll begin to grasp the vast power of research.

Laugh track: I often joke that I’m “a Little House on the Prairie kind of guy stuck in a Sex and the City world,” and here I am sporting my 19th century finest…

With former J-school research adjunct Barbara Oliver at Party Like It's 1899 in May.

A sampling of what caught my attention this summer:

Government cutbacks hurting research? You be the judge. The Bureau of Justice Statistics will soon cease funding the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statisics. And the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey could be next on the chopping block.

Oh well, at least New York City put its Green Book on the web.  Finally!

New Orleans will be without a daily newspaper soon, after the Times-Picayune announced it’s cutting back to three days a week, with a much-reduced staff (more here). Of course, things are rough all over.

Speaking of rough, my employer was the subject of a less-than-flattering article in New York magazine. The Times is also ending a partnership with the J-school and my favorite reporter has left. I’ll definitely miss working with Pete Thamel.

Elsewhere, CNBC’s Darren Rovell provided an example of how to get burned by not properly checking someone’s background (as well as how not to apologize).

ESPN’s Lynn Hoppes also provided an example of what not to do. So did The New Yorker’s Jonah Lehrer and Time’s Fareed Zakaria (more here and HERE).

On the lighter side, we’re apparently in for some crazy new web domain suffixes.

I loved the Times’ tributes to pickup basketball in May and July.

Tim Tebow has company living the abstinent lifestyle in New York.

I was fascinated by the debate about whether or not women can have it all.

(But who needs it all? Like Tim Kreider, I am the laziest ambitious person I know.)

And last but not least, the J-school hired a superb new research adjunct…

Hamming it up with fellow research prof Sandra Jamison. Welcome aboard, Sandra!