And the winner is....

After much contemplation, I have decided to do my first Information Inquiry project on music. Following the first W (watching) of Annette's 8 W's of Information Inquiry, I asked myself several questions.

What do you know about this topic already? I know that there are radio stations that can be listened to online. I'm also aware of music downloading sites such as iTunes.

What would you like to learn more about? The resources I already know about assume the person knows what music they would like to. These are not very good resources for someone looking to discover new music and artists. These are the types of resources I would like to find.

What topics are you considering? I'm considering searching for websites or services that send out e-mails or newsletters about up and coming artists. Maybe and type of if you like artist x, then check out artists y and z. I'm also thinking of looking for online radio stations that strictly feature new music.

How do I feel about the project? A little apprehensive, which is listed in Carol Kuhlthau's ISP Model as a typical feeling to have in the 'selecting a topic' stage. I'm not sure what resources I will find on the web. However, I'm also excited and hoping that I might find some very useful information.

What conversations have you had about this topic? I've briefly discussed my topic choice with Annette and a couple of my classmates.

The most important step for me in choosing my topic was the exploring aspect of the Watching Step. As Annette suggests, I stopped and smelled the flowers and thought about what I truly enjoy. Music is one of the things in life that almost always calms me, excites me, or touches me emotionally in some way. I think I will enjoy learning more about this topic and I also think the final project will lend itself nicely to an online format. I am excited to begin my research!