Day Forty-Five
Got comments back from Jean right away. The next big thing I have to work on is my literature review. Here's her email:
Hi Caitlin – Here’s your draft with some comments on it – but very few! You’ve already noted for yourself the places that need either additional writing or revising. Everything else is minor at this point. In a few cases I added a note inside one of your comments – you’ll see it in bold italics. Other than that all notes are in new comment boxes.
If you can finish those last few pieces that you already know about within the next few weeks, you’ll be good to go for graduation in June!
You’ve really done a fine job with the research and with writing this up as a very polished document. You can be proud of the work you’ve done!
Let me know if you have any questions about the notes on here. Great work!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21
Day Forty-Four
Wrote the abstract and acknowledgements and reformatted the Guide to RMPs and sent Jean draft "one and a half."
Wrote the abstract and acknowledgements and reformatted the Guide to RMPs and sent Jean draft "one and a half."
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17
Day Forty-Three
I worked on rewriting the second chapter today. I am pleased with the work I got done on it and how it's coming out, although I didn't completely finish it.
I worked on rewriting the second chapter today. I am pleased with the work I got done on it and how it's coming out, although I didn't completely finish it.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Saturday, April 16
Day Forty-Two
Today I worked on the Intro, Chapter One, and some of Chapter Two. I have a lot to do tomorrow!
Today I worked on the Intro, Chapter One, and some of Chapter Two. I have a lot to do tomorrow!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 10
Day Forty-One
I've compiled all the things I need to fix for the second draft and made a schedule. I told Jean I would give her my second draft on 4/18, which gives me 8 days. This schedule is for 6 days. Today is Day One.
I've compiled all the things I need to fix for the second draft and made a schedule. I told Jean I would give her my second draft on 4/18, which gives me 8 days. This schedule is for 6 days. Today is Day One.
Day One
· First Chapter: This is a good example of a museum that saw a direct and clear benefit due to adding an RMP. While outside the scope of your thesis, you might suggest that creating a method for tracking these benefits could be an area for further research.
· First Chapter: NARM is the largest. Does this appear to make them more or less desirable for museums to join? Is their list large or small; obscure or prestigious?
· First Chapter: Whitney and Met. Do they each run their own, or is there one RMP that these two prestigious institutions belong to?
· First Chapter: Why do some do no price point requirement? Do you want to explain briefly the rationale for the lower price point requirement? I assume this means that museums such as the Whitney and MOMA do not participate in this RMP?
· First Chapter: Better explain why museums would want to join two types of programs. So one museum might belong to several RMP programs? If one has a high price point and another a low one, how would that benefit the museum?
· First Chapter: Connections. Were you able to learn whether this complexity affects the extent to which the program is used? In other words, if people aren’t quite sure what benefit they’ll receive, does that make this benefit less attractive or less used?
· First Chapter: Does the RMP manager typically charge participating museums for management, or is this done as part of the operating expenses of the managing organization?
· Go through Form Analyses and add more specific examples.
· Guide to RMPs: Reformat. Finish filling out.
· Guide to RMPs: Send to managers to check.
Day Two
· Second Chapter: For example, when a new museum is added to a reciprocal membership program, program managers can use the central source as a way to spread the word and ensure everyone updates their information accordingly. By “everyone,” do you mean other museums participating in that RMP? So if I’m the Oshkosh Art Museum, I need to know when the Athens Art Museum has joined my RMP so my staff know to honor their membership, right?
· Second Chapter: This incorrect information can mislead members and cause problems for them when they visit museums they believe to be reciprocal museums. So a museum member might look up ahead of time whether a particular museum is part of her home museum’s RMP, but that info could be wrong?
· Second Chapter: They must know what programs the museum participates in, what museums are included in those programs, how reciprocal members can be identified, and what benefits reciprocal members receive. Did you ask about this in your survey? Is it common for RMP information to be readily accessible to people at ticket desks/information desks etc.? Or do they typically have to hunt for it? This has been my experience when visiting museums out of Philly when I’ve asked whether they accept any of the memberships I have from home. They typically have to call someone and don’t have the info at the front desk.
· Second Chapter: First, the central, easily-accessible, and up-to-date information source about reciprocal membership programs that has been discussed throughout this thesis will make the information available. The way you’re referring to this, it sounds as if it actually exists. Does it? Or are you saying that it should be created?
· Second Chapter: I think the most important thing you have to say is to set up the central information resource, but I wonder where you think it belongs – AAM? On their website? Should this be something that’s interactive, that each RMP manager would edit/update him or herself? You can suggest one or more possible ways to set this up. Your recommendation about an RMP awareness day sounds less convincing.
· Second Chapter: Other overarching organizations that currently run reciprocal membership programs for their members, such as the Association of Science-Technology Centers, can be looked at as models. Can you provide one or two sentences to explain what this model looks like?
· Second Chapter: This tool will help ensure that busy staff people focus on this topic at least once per year. Who would decide what this date is, and who would publicize it? Would this need to come from AAM?
Day Three
· Conclusion: Instituting a central, easily-accessible, and up-to-date information source can have a positive impact on the museums that participate in them. I know this is really important to your thesis, but it’s not quite here in your paper yet. Do you want to offer a template for what might be included in this database? Is it a database? It’s not quite clear what you’re suggesting ought to be created.
· Conclusion: Since this thesis is focused on laying the groundwork for a basic understanding of reciprocal membership programs, there are many more opportunities for research in the future. This is a good example of where it doesn’t sound like you’ve already started on one of your key suggestions. You’ve done more than what you’re describing here.
· Conclusion: Your conclusion should clarify what you found out, what your key recommendations are, and should make it clear that you’ve already started on establishing the central resource you propose – you just need a place for it to go and a method for gathering/updating the info. You need a host!
Day Four
· Introduction: When you first describe your surveys, you should indicate that your survey questions are available in Appendix A (or whatever is the right label), and summarize what you asked about for each survey. What you asked is really important because it helps your reader to know what you were trying to find out, and what you would not have been able to find out. If there are types of issues or questions that you thought about but deliberately left out, that you think a lot of readers might have questions about, you should mention them in the section where you explain the limitations of the study.
· Introduction: So early in your paper, you need to state that in fact one of your results is the beginnings of creating a database (if that’s the right word for what you have) that you believe would be a benefit to the field and help to improve practices as you suggest at the end.
· First Chapter: Concluding paragraphs-Your concluding paragraph should summarize the preceding discussion and highlight what you think are the key points from that section or chapter. Can you provide a better summary of the preceding section? You might summarize key distinctions among RMPs, key benefits, etc. You can also provide a transition to Chapter 2.
Day Five
· Introduction: Lit review-As I read through your lit review and your paper, it looks as if there is almost nothing written at all about museum memberships – you could certainly cite recent books and articles about changes in museum practice and explain that while many of them discuss membership, none focus on the particular issues you want to explore regarding RMPs. Right now you have so little it doesn’t look as if you’ve actually done a search. I’m sure you looked at a variety of sources in your search. Summarize what areas of museum management they DO cover so it will be clear you’ve covered your bases. The summary can be very brief, lumping a group of texts together under a general description of the kinds of things they do cover.
Day Six
· Write abstract (less than 150 words) and AAAE abstract (700 characters).
· Write acknowledgements.
· Get rid of List of Tables and List of Figures or incorporate some into the document?
· Separate sections of the introduction.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday, April 8
Day Forty
Jean gave me her edits on 3/30 and said she'd like my second draft 4/9-4/13. However, it's 4/8 and I haven't started yet. I stayed home from work today because I don't feel well. Maybe I will be able to get some work done today. Hopefully, I will be able to use this weekend and next weekend to get the second draft done and get it back to Jean on 4/18. I haven't worked on it yet because I feel like it's nowhere close to where I'd like it to be and I don't know where to start. But maybe instead of focusing on it being good, I just need to focus on getting it done.
Jean gave me her edits on 3/30 and said she'd like my second draft 4/9-4/13. However, it's 4/8 and I haven't started yet. I stayed home from work today because I don't feel well. Maybe I will be able to get some work done today. Hopefully, I will be able to use this weekend and next weekend to get the second draft done and get it back to Jean on 4/18. I haven't worked on it yet because I feel like it's nowhere close to where I'd like it to be and I don't know where to start. But maybe instead of focusing on it being good, I just need to focus on getting it done.
Wednesday, March 30
Jean gave me her comments on my first draft today. There are more specific comments in the word doc, but here are her overall comments:
Hi Caitlin – Great work on this draft! Of course I have comments, but you should feel good about what you’ve accomplished so far. You’re well on your way to completion.
At this point in time you should be doing the following:
- make sure you’ve applied for graduation and to participate in Commencement. I’m not sure ifyou can order your robes yet, but do that as soon as Drexel makes it available. You’re going to finish!
- start working on filling the various holes you’ve left in the thesis document – I think you have most of them marked for yourself but check against the thesis manual to make sure nothing is left out and that you’ve used the correct format where indicated
- read these comments and the comments on the paper and start working on your revision. If you can get your next draft back to me in 10 days to 2 weeks, that would be perfect.
Here are my general thoughts on what you have so far:
As I read your thesis, I didn’t realize how much you had actually compiled already, and that the resource you suggest in your paper ought to be created has in fact been started by you as part of your research for this paper.
So early in your paper, you need to state that in fact one of your results is the beginnings of creating a database (if that’s the right word for what you have) that you believe would be a benefit to the field and help to improve practices as you suggest at the end. As I read the paper, I found I wasn’t expecting to find this huge resource at the end – it came as a surprise!
Likewise, when you first describe your surveys, you should indicate that your survey questions are available in Appendix A (or whatever is the right label), and summarize what you asked about for each survey. What you asked is really important because it helps your reader to know what you were trying to find out, and what you would not have been able to find out. If there are types of issues or questions that you thought about but deliberately left out, that you think a lot of readers might have questions about, you should mention them in the section where you explain the limitations of the study.
As I read through your lit review and your paper, it looks as if there is almost nothing written at all about museum memberships – you could certainly cite recent books and articles about changes in museum practice and explain that while many of them discuss membership, none focus on the particular issues you want to explore regarding RMPs. Right now you have so little it doesn’t look as if you’ve actually done a search. I’m sure you looked at a variety of sources in your search. Summarize what areas of museum management they DO cover so it will be clear you’ve covered your bases. The summary can be very brief, lumping a group of texts together under a general description of the kinds of things they do cover.
Next – how to close out each section. I know the thesis manual suggests you should write a concluding paragraph, but yours appear to move up to such a high level of generality as to not be useful. Your concluding paragraph should summarize the preceding discussion and highlight what you think are the key points from that section or chapter.
Chapter Two – I have lots of detailed notes on this section on the draft – see notes. ? I think the most important thing you have to say is to set up the central information resource, but I wonder where you think it belongs – AAM? On their website? Should this be something that’s interactive, that each RMP manager would edit/update him or herself? You can suggest one or more possible ways to set this up. Your recommendation about an RMP awareness day sounds less convicning – see my notes on this section as well.
Conclusion – Your conclusion should clarify what you found out, what your key recommendations are, and should make it clear that you’ve already started on establishing the central resource you propose – you just need a place for it to go and a method for gathering/updating the info. You need a host!
OK, I think this gives you plenty to do. I have very very little to say about editing/proofreading. There are a few spots highlighted in yellow that need some proofreading, but really your writing is very polished. The work you have left to do is mostly about making sure that your reader can tell what you’ve learned and is convinced about the need for the changes you recommend (and also can see that there’s a realistic way to accomplish what you suggest).
I look forward to your next draft!
- Jean
Hi Caitlin – Great work on this draft! Of course I have comments, but you should feel good about what you’ve accomplished so far. You’re well on your way to completion.
At this point in time you should be doing the following:
- make sure you’ve applied for graduation and to participate in Commencement. I’m not sure ifyou can order your robes yet, but do that as soon as Drexel makes it available. You’re going to finish!
- start working on filling the various holes you’ve left in the thesis document – I think you have most of them marked for yourself but check against the thesis manual to make sure nothing is left out and that you’ve used the correct format where indicated
- read these comments and the comments on the paper and start working on your revision. If you can get your next draft back to me in 10 days to 2 weeks, that would be perfect.
Here are my general thoughts on what you have so far:
As I read your thesis, I didn’t realize how much you had actually compiled already, and that the resource you suggest in your paper ought to be created has in fact been started by you as part of your research for this paper.
So early in your paper, you need to state that in fact one of your results is the beginnings of creating a database (if that’s the right word for what you have) that you believe would be a benefit to the field and help to improve practices as you suggest at the end. As I read the paper, I found I wasn’t expecting to find this huge resource at the end – it came as a surprise!
Likewise, when you first describe your surveys, you should indicate that your survey questions are available in Appendix A (or whatever is the right label), and summarize what you asked about for each survey. What you asked is really important because it helps your reader to know what you were trying to find out, and what you would not have been able to find out. If there are types of issues or questions that you thought about but deliberately left out, that you think a lot of readers might have questions about, you should mention them in the section where you explain the limitations of the study.
As I read through your lit review and your paper, it looks as if there is almost nothing written at all about museum memberships – you could certainly cite recent books and articles about changes in museum practice and explain that while many of them discuss membership, none focus on the particular issues you want to explore regarding RMPs. Right now you have so little it doesn’t look as if you’ve actually done a search. I’m sure you looked at a variety of sources in your search. Summarize what areas of museum management they DO cover so it will be clear you’ve covered your bases. The summary can be very brief, lumping a group of texts together under a general description of the kinds of things they do cover.
Next – how to close out each section. I know the thesis manual suggests you should write a concluding paragraph, but yours appear to move up to such a high level of generality as to not be useful. Your concluding paragraph should summarize the preceding discussion and highlight what you think are the key points from that section or chapter.
Chapter Two – I have lots of detailed notes on this section on the draft – see notes. ? I think the most important thing you have to say is to set up the central information resource, but I wonder where you think it belongs – AAM? On their website? Should this be something that’s interactive, that each RMP manager would edit/update him or herself? You can suggest one or more possible ways to set this up. Your recommendation about an RMP awareness day sounds less convicning – see my notes on this section as well.
Conclusion – Your conclusion should clarify what you found out, what your key recommendations are, and should make it clear that you’ve already started on establishing the central resource you propose – you just need a place for it to go and a method for gathering/updating the info. You need a host!
OK, I think this gives you plenty to do. I have very very little to say about editing/proofreading. There are a few spots highlighted in yellow that need some proofreading, but really your writing is very polished. The work you have left to do is mostly about making sure that your reader can tell what you’ve learned and is convinced about the need for the changes you recommend (and also can see that there’s a realistic way to accomplish what you suggest).
I look forward to your next draft!
- Jean
Sunday, March 27
Day Thirty-Nine
Today I put the finishing touches on my first draft. It's not great, but it's a start. I emailed it to Jean. Looking forward to hearing what she has to say.
Today I put the finishing touches on my first draft. It's not great, but it's a start. I emailed it to Jean. Looking forward to hearing what she has to say.
Saturday, March 26
Day Thirty-Eight
Today I put a lot of work into the structure and organization of my thesis and fleshed out the second chapter and conclusion.
Today I put a lot of work into the structure and organization of my thesis and fleshed out the second chapter and conclusion.
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