As a R&W family we decided to research swine housing since there has been a transition from individual housing to group housing. When we first chose this topic I thought it would be easy to connect our individual parts however, this has been a challenge. Just like the readings said, different fields have their own language so it is something we need to get used to. Two of the group members who are in the Math Department have been opened to the swine housing topic and it definitely helps, which is why we are slowly figuring it out and putting it all together.
I have chosen to focus my part on stereotypic sow behaviors and comparing the frequency of these behaviors among different housing environments. Doing research on this is very helpful because I am learning the background of my future research. Writing the panel abstract is a good way to get started because it includes everyone's focus, but we have not completed all of our research yet so it might have been helpful to do our individual abstracts first.
This is a space where UIUC SPI participants in the Summer 2013 Research Methods and Writing Seminar engage each other as researchers, intellectuals and members of a cross disciplinary knowledge producing community.
Hey, that swine housing stuff sounds really interesting. I like animals and have even had a chance to work with them before (although not pigs). Also, I can see how writing my individual abstract could definitely have helped me say exactly what I meant to say while we were writing the panel abstract. I think we all had a tough time putting our thoughts into words.
ReplyDeleteMayra,
ReplyDeleteHave you identified specific housing environments yet?
I would be interested in hearing more about this because at least person in my lab group is doing research that indirectly involves housing cows and I wonder if there would be some kind of correlation?