For our oral history project, our group is using the research question "What are the affordances and constraints of organic foods?" We also hope to present both the benefits and problems associated with non-organic foods. I will be working on the introduction and tying in articles from our class readings and from our own outside readings to support our different opinions to inform others of the benefits and risks of choosing either an organic only or non-organic diet. Although we are trying to remain unbiased in our research and with our paper, there seems to be a pretty good chance that by the end of our project, there will at least be a slightly biased view-point.
I began my research by attempting to find articles that sided with chosing non-organic foods over a purely organic diet. I was hoping to find evidence to support some of the opinions I stated in my previous blog - such as supporting the food supply in other countries and how GMOs drive down the price of produce so that fresh fruits and vegetables are more accessible to others. I also wanted to check to see if there were any outright health benefits to eating non-organic foods. My research efforts so far were not as successful as I had hoped. I thought that I had found a few promising articles that would give me the information that I was seeking, but the more I read into them, the more I realized that they were not necessarily for non-organic foods. In fact, most of the articles that turned up throughout my searches were all attempts to unveil the harsh realities of consuming GMOs. I think the next time I attempt research on this particular topic, I'm going to have to take a different route than what I have already tried. I'm going to have to find out what a few of the major corporations are saying about what they do, and to check out what research they have posted that supports their products. I'm starting to think that this is the only way I will be able to find information to balance our research question.
The fact that it is difficult to find information that sheds positive light on genetically modified foods makes me wonder if it really is possible to give an unbiased research paper on this topic. I want to know if the lack of articles coming up is due to a lack of popularity of finding the good in genetically modified foods, or if the current huge focus in research is to support the choice to stick to an organic diet, or if genetically modified foods really have very few positive aspectss Is it entirely up to us to make it perfectly balanced, or is it possible that no matter what we do, the readers will still interpret a biased opinion? I am also wondering if we should refocus our research - maybe we do need to take a stand on one side of the issue to put together a piece with credible evidence.
I began my research by attempting to find articles that sided with chosing non-organic foods over a purely organic diet. I was hoping to find evidence to support some of the opinions I stated in my previous blog - such as supporting the food supply in other countries and how GMOs drive down the price of produce so that fresh fruits and vegetables are more accessible to others. I also wanted to check to see if there were any outright health benefits to eating non-organic foods. My research efforts so far were not as successful as I had hoped. I thought that I had found a few promising articles that would give me the information that I was seeking, but the more I read into them, the more I realized that they were not necessarily for non-organic foods. In fact, most of the articles that turned up throughout my searches were all attempts to unveil the harsh realities of consuming GMOs. I think the next time I attempt research on this particular topic, I'm going to have to take a different route than what I have already tried. I'm going to have to find out what a few of the major corporations are saying about what they do, and to check out what research they have posted that supports their products. I'm starting to think that this is the only way I will be able to find information to balance our research question.
The fact that it is difficult to find information that sheds positive light on genetically modified foods makes me wonder if it really is possible to give an unbiased research paper on this topic. I want to know if the lack of articles coming up is due to a lack of popularity of finding the good in genetically modified foods, or if the current huge focus in research is to support the choice to stick to an organic diet, or if genetically modified foods really have very few positive aspectss Is it entirely up to us to make it perfectly balanced, or is it possible that no matter what we do, the readers will still interpret a biased opinion? I am also wondering if we should refocus our research - maybe we do need to take a stand on one side of the issue to put together a piece with credible evidence.