What do you like to research?

[zoebartlett]

I''m assuming that most of us on PS are researchers to some degree, whether it''s researching diamonds/colored stones, settings, or something similar. What else do you like to research?

 

[neatfreak]

EVERYTHING! That is why I am so happy in academia I guess.

For work I research health policy, specifically child health. I'm also really interested in economics such as game theory,labor, etc.

But I'm one of those people that finds something interesting and then researches the heck out of it. Whether it's a weird weather phenomena, a politician, or a recipe...I research everything.

 

[Skippy123]

Gosh, I love to research too. I tend to research the heck out of travel, restaurants, hotels, sights to see. I am a huge fan of consumer reports too and asking for people opinion. My family teases me that they just need to ask Skippy and I will do all the research for them. I find it fun and interesting; I usually don''t make a large purchase unless I researched because in the past I have not and ended up losing money on a crappy product, etc.

 

[zoebartlett]

I''m the same way as you both, Neatfreak and Skippy. I research everything and try to get as many opinions as possible before buying anything. Thank heavens for the Internet, huh?

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 3/2/2008 5:58:42 PM
Author: Skippy123
Gosh, I love to research too. I tend to research the heck out of travel, restaurants, hotels, sights to see. I am a huge fan of consumer reports too and asking for people opinion. My family teases me that they just need to ask Skippy and I will do all the research for them. I find it fun and interesting; I usually don''t make a large purchase unless I researched because in the past I have not and ended up losing money on a crappy product, etc.

Ditto.... so from Diamonds to cars....to cameras (although not large, just wanted to know which was best for what I want)... to laptops. Basically anything that''s electronic that I am purchasing or any other big purchases

. I have to be interested in what I am researching, otherwise I find it boring (like a class assignment or something).

 

[ChargerGrrl]

travel
food
wine

 

[musey]

Child Development
Animal Psychology
Psychology of Social Interaction
Nutrition

 

[Beacon]

I love to research things in general, particularly decorating ideas, homes for sale, investment opportunites.

 

[kellyfish]

Whatever my current obsession is..........

 

[Selkie]

I research both things I plan to buy (car, jewelry, camera) and random stuff I''m interested in, like history, travel, urban legends. If there''s something I''m really interested in I can get a bit...obsessive.

I have kind of a knack for coming up with the right search terms to find things out.

My career is also in research, environmental science, so I guess I''m naturally pretty curious and used to having to root around trying to find information.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Wow! It''s like I have finally found my people!!

I am a researcher by trade (academic social psychology), but even there my colleagues aren''t always like me researching everything and anything! Like all of you I research the heck out of whatever I am obsessed with... I call it my "hobby." So before I got my dogs in was dog breeds, then before I got engaged it was colored gems (though I learned much more when I found PS) then it was wedding planning, and now it is diamonds etc. And if I buy something I always like to be an expert so I don''t get screwed. Or if I go on vacation I research the best restaurants etc. My family teases me about it a lot!!

I thought I was alone, how amazing that there are others out there too!

DD

 

[Selkie]

So true, Dreamer! I guess that's why PS is such a great place for finding information, not just on diamonds and jewelry, but on weddings, proposals, shopping, life decisions etc. There's a bunch of people here obsessed with research AND willing to share their knowledge, the perfect combo IMO.

 

[Efe]

Date: 3/2/2008 8:37:13 PM
Author: kellyfish
Whatever my current obsession is..........

LOL. I can so relate to this.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Date: 3/2/2008 8:37:13 PM
Author: kellyfish
Whatever my current obsession is..........

Same here.

I research all sorts of things-- women's health/politics/the environment. Right now, I'm doing a lot of research on Constitutional Law for a project I'm working on.

 

[AGBF]

I think I fit the profile that seems to be emerging of people posting to this thread. I have always (even before the ''net) researched passionately about various things...in spurts. That means that at one point I had stacks of yellowing newspaper articles about the New York crime families. Then stacks of information about JFK''s assassination. Etcetera.

One thing I research now is any illness or surgery which one of my parents has or has recommended to him. I then try to track down the best physician or surgeon to treat my parent. I really swing into high gear if someone in my family needs medical help. I also have some family resources and a friend who is a resource, so I use those in combination with what I can read on the ''net.

I can become deeply involved in a very esoteric point, however. It could be about just about anything. I, too, become obsessed!

Deborah

 

[princesss]

I love to research travel and food. My current obsession is reading about the science behind food: what eggs do, why you bake some things at 350 and others at 475, etc. I also love reading accounts of working in a kitchen. I''m in love with Heat by Bill Buford right now. I also research trips I''d like to take, and am currently trying to find a trip to take with my Southwest gift certificate (I have enough to go anywhere in the lower 4.

I research any major purchase, which I definitely inherited from my parents. We spent weeks researching my new car before they bought it (it''s my graduation gift).

I''m fascinated by space, so I''ll read anything I can about it. I don''t care how dry it is, I think it''s the most fascinating thing in the world.

And right now I''m in the middle of researching my senior thesis on bachelorette parties.

 

[Clio]

Mostly history, since that''s what I do.

I also love to do the research for trips. It''s nearly as much fun as the trip itself.

 

[Fancy605]

Gosh, I am apparently a bit of a research junkie. That''s how I discovered PS. LEt''s see, recent things I like to research/keep up to date on current research:

Trends in Education (I''ve actually conducted original research here)
Travel, Travel, and more Travel (now if only I could afford to visit the places I''ve read about)
Horses
Dog Breeds
The Mafia (Who knew Frank Sinatra was so involved)

The list is ever changing... except for Education Research. I do that always, but that''s b/c I feel part of being a teacher is knowing the current trends/issues.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 3/2/2008 9:41:47 PM
Author: princesss
I love to research travel and food. My current obsession is reading about the science behind food: what eggs do, why you bake some things at 350 and others at 475, etc. I also love reading accounts of working in a kitchen. I''m in love with Heat by Bill Buford right now. I also research trips I''d like to take, and am currently trying to find a trip to take with my Southwest gift certificate (I have enough to go anywhere in the lower 4.

I research any major purchase, which I definitely inherited from my parents. We spent weeks researching my new car before they bought it (it''s my graduation gift).

I''m fascinated by space, so I''ll read anything I can about it. I don''t care how dry it is, I think it''s the most fascinating thing in the world.

And right now I''m in the middle of researching my senior thesis on bachelorette parties.

Wow, you KNOW you are a researcher when someone posts something like this and you think to yourself, "What DO eggs do?!??! Why DO you cook things at particular temperatures?? Please do tell!!"

Siiigggghh... you all have no idea how wonderful it is to know there are others like me. We should start a club: "What did you learn today?"

I just stopped my hubby and said, "OK you wonder why I am always on PS? This is why..." and I read him a bunch of posts. He was cracking up and he said, "Ohhhhh, NOW I get it!" haha

DD

 

[AGBF]

Date: 3/2/2008 10:46:56 PM
Author: Fancy605


The Mafia (Who knew Frank Sinatra was so involved)

See! Someone else had one of the same ones I did. My mafia research was so long ago that I forgot it all, though! It was long before the Internet. "Research" now is so different! In the old days there was research of the type where one was interested and found whatever one could to read on a subject and then there was Research where one went to the Library and looked for Primary Sources like old magazines and bound books of messages between foreign service officers so that one could write a paper. I find it hard to imagine researching now some of the things I researched before computers. Some of the historical research, though, could probably only be done in a library.

Deborah

 

[zoebartlett]

In the past year, we''ve done a ton of research for our wedding and honeymoon. I guess you could say we did a lot of field research when we were looking for the right destination and venue.

I love Trip Advisor, although I find the site visually overwhelming at times.

We were planning on getting a soft coated wheaten terrier and I spent many, many hours researching breeders through the AKC and the SCWT site. We''ve since decided to wait until we have a house to get a wheaten but I still like to look for breeders (there aren''t many in New England).

Before we ordered my engagement ring, we were trying to decide what style we liked best. At one point, we had decided we were going with a sapphire instead of a diamond. I spent a lot of time trying to learn about colored gems. In the end we went with diamonds but I''d still LOVE another sapphire ring at some point. And spess, tanzanite, etc.

My FI likes to do a little research as well but he usually gives me topic and then off I go.

 

[Lorelei]

Horses
Vintage Hermes bags and scarves

vintage perfumes

 

[perry]

Lots of things as I float from whim to whim (especially with the internet now).

Interestingly, one of the things I had to make a decision on regarding pricescope and diamonds is did I become involved in the math behind the angles of cut. I easily could have obsessed into that and figured it all out (and even written computer programs too).

Instead, I cut myself from that intellectual pursuit (as others had done it or were doing it) and decided to focus on just how things looked...

Now back in the days before the internet - when research often meant many days in a library and buying books my biggest and longest (multiyears) area of research (education) involved astronomy and telescopes.

Do have a great day,

Perry

 

[LitigatorChick]

Cars.... vroom vroom.

Now, I need to find that articling student at the firm to fight that speeding ticket...

 

[Independent Gal]

Great thread, Zozo!

I love reading about geology and about animals and birds. I read a lot about social and political issues too and currently, I''m learning more about Chinese politics and history. I also have had an on-and-off interest in the history of clocks and time-keeping.

It''s neat to see everyones interests.

 

[jas]

Anything food related.
Women''s history
Politics
History of humor
Educational research
Anything (and I mean just about anything) I am planning on purchasing, big or small. You would not believe the research I''ve done on vitamins alone.
Right now I''m researching a lot on pregnancy and delivering/raising twins.

This is indeed an interesting thread!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Everything.
Shoes
clothes
history (EVERYTHING)
biology
phsychology
China
travel
food
purchases
wedding stuff
wildreness survival
plants, etc
There are far more, those are just a few. The main thing I research is anthropology and history though as I am working on being an archaeologist. I love learning sciences like strontium isotope analysis and DNA haplotyping as well as more humanities things like religion. It why I love anthropology so much.

 

[misysu2]

Oh how I love PS! I am a total research junkie.

I love to research ahead of time anything I''m thinking of purchasing.

I also love researching my genealogy on Ancestry.com, wedding planning, and books/movies!

 

[lyra]

Mostly medical and veterinary stuff.

 

[BlueJeans]

I''m a research bug! I just started subscribing to that new consumer reports for women, its fantastic!