Blogs are no longer just for gossip. Blogs, which were once considered unprofessional, have become a popular method of academic research and personal Tufts Political Science communication.
Blogs have been integrated into Tufts’ academic curriculum, especially in Tufts Political Science. Blogs are an integral part of modern life, whether students write them themselves or use others’ blogs during research.
Katy Bondy, second-year Fletcher graduate student, said that blogging is the new way of communicating. It allows you to get better first-hand information and insight into the world around you.
Bondy stated My family reads and it gives them an insight into my life here
Links to Faculty blogs are also available hearts & science on the Fletcher School’s blog Web page. These often contain individual comments from professors about current events.
Fletcher School Associate Professor in International Politics Daniel Drezner maintains a blog which he updates nearly daily. Drezner stated that he started his blog after reading blogs from others.
- Drezner stated that she had read blogs before starting her own and found them interesting. “Then September 11th happened and all these blogs about international relations were brought to the forefront.”
- Drezner does not use his blog as a teaching resource. He said, “I try to not use my blog for teaching purposes.”
- Drezner does not require students to read his blog but he informs them.
- Drezner stated that blogs offer two distinct advantages over other media outlets. Interactivity is the first benefit. He said that blogs are more engaging than traditional media outlets because they have more punch and are less formal. They are more conversational and personal than other media outlets.
- Richard Eichenberg, Associate Professor of Tufts Political Science, says that some informational blogs are scholarly references. This is dependent on their credibility and lack bias.
- Eichenberg called blogs “essential material” for his classroom. However, he encourages his students to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources. Eichenberg stated that all students and scholars should exercise source skepticism while reviewing blogs and online research sources.
- Eichenberg pointed out that “source skepticism,” which he called subjective “rant-and-rave” blogs, will also weed out such blogs and make reliable media references, particularly among Tufts Political Science blogs.
- Tufts political science Eichenberg stated that he believes political blogs can be extremely helpful, especially in classes like mine on foreign policy and public opinion. As a part of his course curriculum, he uses blogs, including the political polling blog.