Expert Interview

In my research thus far, it seems that the majority of companies that are using Facebook profile's in hiring decisions are internet based companies. Therefore, I chose an internet related company for my expert interview. Below is a brief recap of this interview.
I had the privledge of speaking with Mr. Paul Tamburello who is a computer scientist for a technology consulting firm called Booz Allen Hamilton. I started off our short session by explaining my research question and the many problems graduating college seniors are facing with respect to social networks like Facebook and finding employment. Mr. Tamburello seemed to be aware of the problem already and offered his own opinion on the issue. When I asked him if it was fair for companies to use profile information in the hiring process, he responded..."If you put it on the internet, its public. It is the responsibility of the proflie creator to censor their material. After all, the internet is a public forum of information so these kids need to take the necessary steps to protect themselves." When I asked him about profile hacking, and obtaining such information illegally, he stated..."If these companies are hacking, then it is a legal issue. If there is a hole in Facebook's terms of use policy, than it is a violation on their part." Now that I had Mr. Tamburello's opinion on the legality of the issue I turned to the ethical aspect and asked if he thought in general it was right for companies to use proflie information when making hiring decisions. Mr. Tamburello said, "It's not just technical qualifications we are looking for in an applicant. Companies want to know more about the candidate and a profile like those on Facebook can help to learn more about the person. It should not be the deciding factor, but another piece of the puzzle that we as employers must put together when making hiring decisions."
This was a very beneficial interview and is very useful in my research. I enjoyed chatting with Mr. Tamburello, who was very knowledgeable and insightful on the subject.

Feedback

I have reviewed my feedback that I received from my classmates and it has been incredibly helpful. I was able to narrow my topic, and this will hopefully move my research along. I am very pleased with where I am at right now in my project!

Poster and Progress

I have recently completed my poster which was a big help to me. It allowed me to narrow my topic down and really visualize what I have. My research question has evolved over the semester but I think I am honing in on a specific question. As of now I was to look at the key elements that have made Facebook such a phenomenon coupled with a look at how this social network has impacted college students and their career planning. I am struggling to find sources, but have found a few helpful online articles. I am hoping that my classmates can help me move my research along thought this poster exercise.

Pulling Questions

What are the implications for using online social networks such as Facebook.com and MySpace.com?

How do online social networks affect our privacy?

How have online social networks affected the way we communicate?

What impact has online social networks such as Facebook.com and MySpace.com had on the job market?

1 2 3 step to developing questions

1. Online social networks are changing the face of communication and how the human race now interacts with each other.
2. These new online social networks are making personal information more accessible, and as a result has brought about a whole host of issues related to privacy.
3. These networks have changed the way humans communicate and presented many implications that directly affect our daily lives. It is worth investigating the effects they are having on society.

Search Log

My initial visit was to Davis Library where I briefly explained by topic to the woman at the front desk. She suggested because of my topic, my best bet would be to see a reference librarian at the Undergraduate library. My visit to the Undergraduate Library was very successful and beneficial. I provided a copy of my prospectus and then explained that my topic was on the effects that online social networks have on communication. The reference librarian seemed really interested in my topic and told me that because the phenomenon of Facebook.com and MySpace.com is so new, there is not likely to be much in the way of books. She told me my best was magazines and journal articles and then was able to show me how to use the library's search database. Together, we used key search words like "social networks and communication". This was incredibly helpful as I was unaware of how useful this article search engine is for researching. Surprisingly, I was able to find a magazine article that discusses my topic exactly. My search revealed an article in an August 2007 entitled "The Facebook Effect". I am eager to read this article, as I am positive it will help in my research.
I think that going to the library and discussing my topic with an actual reference librarian was incredibly useful. She was able to help me use the library's website with which I was mostly unfamiliar. The reference librarian encouraged me to use all search tools available online and in the library, and assured me that I would find plenty of information on my topic. It was an overall successful experience and I am confident with where I am at right now in my research.


Levy, S. (2007, August 27). Facebook Grows Up. Newsweek, p.41.

I discovered this article in Newsweek when I visited the reference librarian at the Undergraduate Library. I found it, in cooperation with the reference librarian, by using the search database on the UNC Library website. Specifically, I obtained the article from LexisNexis. I selected this article because the description of the article. It seemed like it was extremely pertinent to my topic.

Class substitution assignment

At this point in my research, my challenge is narrowing down the resources that are available in my searches to those that will be most helpful to my topic. I have been using Google for the most part and have found so much information on social networks like Facebook.com and MySpace.com, much of which is commentary or opinion. The most important thing for me to do is find sources that are valid. Therefore, it is important to me to use credible websites when researching such as articles published by CNN.com or MSNBC.com. One of the more interesting sites I found while researching my topic was http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12209620/site/newsweek/. This was a story published in Newsweek about how investigators are now using Facebook.com as a tool to catch criminals. This is just one of many sources I have looked at that show what an impact these Internet based social networks are having on our society.
The Internet has provided me with a lot of information so far, but I think my next step should be to visit the library and the University's online article database. This will only help in finding the information necessary for my topic.