2006 PIP Progress Thread (2 Viewers)

[mishka]

Let's start the ball rolling... (or at least let's take a step back and look at where we're at!)

It is now February and your PIP will be due in early August. Six months seems like a lot of time, but let's face it, you won't have six months left if you put if off any longer!!

So I thought I would start a thread for all you '06ers out there.. let us know where you're at with your PIP and use this thread to encourage each other.

By now, I would think that most of you would have at least gathered the majority of your secondary research and have a firm grip on your specific topic. I have seen one of you post a link to an online questionnaire (which is great!) Remember to also plan other forms of primary research - a rounded view is highly regarded!

Don't forget there is a special forum set up where you can ask people questions and post click here

Looking forward to hearing about your masterpieces-in-progress!!

 

[Kulazzi]

I think you should make this thread a sticky. Great idea to start this up!

 

[[trent]]

ok...I’ll go first. My PIP topic is the effectiveness of Australian political satire as an agent of political socialisation (that's a mouthful!). I'm basically looking at mainstream aussie political satire, and seeing how its changed over time and wether or not it alters people's perceptions and viewpoints, or is seen to be purely for entertainment.

At the mo (as some of you have seen) I'm conducting a questionnaire as my 2nd methodology...I’m issuing both online (please have a look if you haven't already done so...it's only online for 2 weeks), and at public venues...trying to get a good cross-section of the population. I have an assessable progress check wk3 in which i have to present a new methodology (my first was a media analysis/personal reflection), so I'm hoping to get sufficient results by this time.

I'm also planning on conducting a focus group around wk5 with contrasting members of the general public (to get more qualitative info.), as well as emailing some comedy groups (such as the Chaser) and politicians to (hopefully) get their views...

So, I’ve still got a LOT of work to do (+ 2 other major works)

 

[piratie]

I'm in a lot of trouble at the moment. I'm having trouble finding a suitable topic for my PIP.
I've spent the rest of my time working hard at my 2 other Major Works...

Thoroughly screwed and stressed.

 

[Sweets]

It's only February piratie. If you start now, you're deffinetly not screwed. First of all Brainstrom, Brainstorm, Brainstorm. Then cross out ideas which are just too board or not very good and you will probably be left with a couple. Then seriously once you have picked it just through yourself in reading about, acquiant yourself with the topic, and then make your questionnaires/do ur methodologies (alot of people do it the other way around, but I find this way you get much more meaningful results from your methodologies).

Next I would really suggest making some sort of timetable for your PIP progress. I was lucky that at my school our proposal, first draft etc were part of our assessment, so it kind of forced me to do it, but if it isn't give youself a rough timetable. Ie I want a proposal of sorts done by now, that basically means have your methodolgoies choosen and designed, start your resource list, choose 5 chapter headings (which will probably evolve and change throughout the process) and write down a brief outline of what you want to explore and formulate your focus question---make sure you show this to your teacher or if you have a crap teacher like alot of people do for SAC, show someone who has done the course before (there are plenty of ppl on BOS )

Alot of people will think this is a waste of time, but I just found this such a great way to get all my ideas together and create a focus, and it deffiently makes it seem much less scary and overwhelming.

Next set yourself at date to have your first draft done by (intro + all methodologies completed + and at least dot points for each chapter- although its better if you have written some chapters)


Next set yourself a date for your 2nd draft (intro+ all chapters + conclusion)

Then you can refine and do all those other little bits and pieces.

Also huge tip, do your resource list along the way. I had this exercise book where I would just write about what I used the book for pages I liked, quotes I used etc. Not only did it make typing up the resource list incredibly easy but it made it so easy to go back and check stuff, if I wanted to re-write something of anything.

Remember show your work to basically anyone you can along the way, teachers, friends, family, as feedback as you will find really invaluable.

Good luck to the 2006 pipers.

 

[mishka]

My first post in this thread was really to get people motivated and I only suggest certain milestones because I know what it's like to put it off until 3 months left!!

You don't have anything to panic about, just start with a huge bit of paper to brainstorm on... write down anything that springs to mind and anything that flows on from other ideas.

The whole point of this thread is to share where we're up to, to support one another. You are not alone in this, and believe it or not, there will be a handful of people who will scramble to get something done in a week or less!!

 

[pig_93]

i re wrote my entire pip with about a week to go
ur all fine
i did well. dont worry. as long as u can bullshit, you'll be great

 

[Kath6779]

Well...I changed my PIP topic about a week ago so I have been trying to get my head around my new topic and form a research question...gettin ready to hand in PIP plan and present a speech to the class....should be fun :s

 

[xfallchild]

PIP die!
that is all.

 

[mishka]

If you aren't looking forward to researching and putting the PIP together, maybe your topic isn't that interesting to you. If it's the workload that is bothering you (it was my main hurdle!) perhaps try to act positively towards it by chunking parts of its construction together, so the PIP doesn't seem like such a huge task.

P.S. It is now 5th March so it has been a month since I began this thread... there is now 5 months left!! Time's ticking so get cracking!!

 

[mobblees]

I've never been, but is the State library a good place for secondary research?

 

[Kulazzi]

I've never been, but is the State library a good place for secondary research?

Definitely!!!!!! :uhhuh: I couldn't find much secondary research from the internet and I there was nothing form my local library. We then went to the State lib as a PIP excursion and I found heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps of info from there. I was so ecstatic!

Go for it!

 

[mishka]

The State Library also hold copies of past PIPs that have won awards and so on. I didn't get to go on an excursion but I went there to have a look at the layout of some good PIPs and I combined a number of ideas when putting mine together

 

[Kulazzi]

The State Library also hold copies of past PIPs that have won awards and so on. I didn't get to go on an excursion but I went there to have a look at the layout of some good PIPs and I combined a number of ideas when putting mine together

oh yeah, that too! Also, you have to go to the service desk and ask for the PIPs. You can only view them in a private area b/c the PIPs are private/secure documents. They will ask you to come around to the desks behind the counter and view them there (which is the private area). Also, you cannot photocopy any PIPs. So take in a notepad and pen to jot down some ideas

 

[roxy88]

hey . im writing my questionare now do you have ant tips , casue im having a bit of trouble knowing what to write iv already done my secondary.

 

[mishka]

You'll have to decide whether you want your questions closed or open ended or a mixture of both.

You will definitely need to have the standard age/gender/etc. on the top of the questionnaire so you can compare differences between the responses.

To keep questionnaires "enjoyable" to fill out, make questions easy to understand (there's no need for "padding" out questions!) and make a scale so the participant just has to circle a number or a line... Of course you can add one or two lines and ask them to explain why, or in the case of multiple choice, signify what "other" means.

What's your topic? We might be able to come up with some questions that will get you enough information..

 

[RainbowBrite]

My Topic: The future role of governments in society. I'm using Singapore as a case study and assessing whether this almost benevolent dictatorship style of government is like a prototype for the world as a contraction against globalisation and the increasing power and authority of multinational businesses over society.

Progress: I'm feeling behind. I'm still gathering secondary information but have discussed my PIP and the future role of governments with various people to get a general view. I'm yet to sit down and have a proper interview and use more primary resources. I'm seriously gonna do some work on it in the holidays.

I cant wait. I really like my topic and am finding it really interesting. I can't wait to get on with it again. I really wish I could do this over a longer period of time though... active research or something isnt that called?

 

[helen_mac]

I'm exploring inequality in Australian maternity services between rural and urban centres, its actually quite interesting- many women have to literally give birth by the side of the road in the country!
So far i've done alot of secondary research and conducted 3 interviews but am completely stumped as to what methodology to do next! The only suggestion my teacher had was to send questionnaires out to as many rural hospitals as possible regarding capacity etc. but this seems too big a task to conduct!
Hope everyone elses PIP's are going alright!

 

[SiZmOs]

hey guys i know that the PiP seems daunting at the moment, but in hindsight, it really is just a walk in the park.
i know you've probably all heard this a thousand and one times, but this will just make it a thousand and two: take it slow, think things through. if you're not sure about something, then ASK everyone u know. teachers, friends at school, people here...
but trust me... once u finish ur PiP (whether you crap your way through it, or actually put real work into it) you feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders... so buckle down. 06ers: you're on the home stretch now. don't stumble. keep focused on your goal and you'll make it through.

wow.. how corny was that?

 

[mishka]

I think it's good that former students share their experiences

I wasn't the perfect SAC student - there are things I wish I did while doing my PIP that I knew were good ideas but I never had the motivation for.

When I did get started on my PIP and got into the questionnaires and the testing, the reading and constructing tables, graphs and explaining what my research meant, I really started to understand the subject.