This set of responses that was due on February 13th is demonstrative of how my work focused on topics I was previously interested in, but tailored them to what was required by the class.
1) What is the general topic you are considering?
I intend to research the religiosity of data and how this relates to how data is perceived in the world in both a material and spiritual way. I also think there is a contrived, limiting barrier between the humanities and technology. This is permeated especially in universities and earlier education.
2) Why this particular topic? What about it interests you and how did you arrive at that interest? If you find you are not truly interested in it, pick a new topic.
I've always been interested in computers and have seen inescapable power in them and the networks which they are parts of. I love thinkers like Baruch Spinoza and enjoy using resources like him in modern senses like this. Serial Experiments Lain is cool and looks at this topic in Jungian way, too.
3) What surprising facts have you gathered so far about the topic? What further research might this lead you to?
I've found overlap in the architectural design of data centers and churches, especially the churches of the past. It is encouraged to have both data centers and churches in buildings devoted to only data or God, respectively.
4) Do people disagree about this topic? If so, what are the disputes surrounding the topic? Who is on what side? Name names./p>
Yes, monotheists and potentially even some types of tech people would disagree on some arguments being made. I don't really know exact names in this context because it's not often discussed, but it's safe to say most probably wouldn't see these parallels on their own, or at least they would think them inconsequential.
5) Is this topic researchable in the (short) amount of time you have? If not, how might you narrow your topic?
This topic is researchable, though a lot of sources are artistic and not really peer reviewed in the way that is needed. I will have to devote extra time to finding sources of this nature.
6) What subtopics have emerged from your initial research?
Data science, pantheism/panentheism, server architecture, and Jungian consciousness are all subtopics relating to this research that have come up.
7) What further research might you pursue based on questions, gaps, and offshoots you've found so far?
I might look at relational elements in religion that could be present within data structures/chains.
8) List 3-5 key terms coming up in your research & provide their definitions.
Panentheism - Like pantheism, but everything in existence is contained within a larger thing as opposed to just making up the entirety of a large thing.
Psychopolitics - Interactions between human psychology and politics, also the title of the Byung Chul-Han book which I will make reference of later.
Relational Database - "a database that contains several tables with related information. Even though data is stored in separate tables, you can access related data across several tables with a single query."