Just a quick update on my research project:I’ve started to look at some background material. I’ve got a copy of the Cullen report into the Dunblane shootings, and a  copy of a report by the Sportman’s Association which looked at police failings in the run-up to the shooting. (The association was formed in 1996 to campaign against the handgun ban.)

I’ve also arranged a meeting (14/10) with our subject librarian Judith Elkin, who has very kindly offered to help me out with my literature review.

Following on from the away day, this is just a short post to (pre) launch my research project. I’ll probably use a dedicated blog once I get going, but I thought I’d post here at first.

Research group
Ola has very helpfully set up and agreed to mentor a small research group comprising John Cafferkey, Barnie Choudhury,  and me.

We’re hoping to hold our first meeting fairly soon (when the induction/week one smoke has cleared).We already have a plan, though, courtesy of Ola, who emailed us with this checklist of how we might proceed:

• Topic field
• Topic focus (title and hypothesis)
• Research elements – research questions, methods
• Previous studies – review of and perspectives in literature
• Abstract writing – 500 words
• Refereed Journals – identify journals that will be interested in publishing your work.
• Conducting research – collate data for your research
• Writing research paper –  write your paper
• Review of paper – internal review by two colleagues and feedback.
• Submit for publication – submit your research to a refereed journal for possible publication.

So far…
I’m planning to do a study of the shooting press. I’ve had quite a few ideas, mainly around focusing on the kinds of journalism on display in the shooting press:

• news reporting;
• campaign journalism;
• product reviews;
• book and film reviews;
• looking at how the shooting press is dealing with digital and social media;
• accessibility and gender issues.

The handgun ban
But after a lot of thought, I’ve narrowed it down to the shooting press’s coverage of the 1997 handgun ban following the Dunblane shooting.

Wider focus?
That’s a very tight focus, I know, but if I need to, I can widen it in several directions:

• a comparison between the shooting press and the general press coverage of the ban;
• looking at the shooting press as an example of campaigning journalism;
• comparing the 1997 campaign with the way the shooting press has covered the Home Affairs Select Committee report into the Cumbria shootings (which will mean looking at digital technology, social media, etc.).

Thoughts?