- Writing up your research in a clear way for others to read and so that they can understand your thought process makes your research better
- Citing what you write--completely even if not academically correct, makes your research stronger
- Sharing your research can "get the word out"
- Blog posts are excellent "cousin bait"
That said, I'm not suggesting that blog posts be rambling, contain "connections" that make no sense, repeat undocumented conclusions, or merely copy information from other researchers or compiled sources. Bloggers need to be original and create their own content. I'd also suggest that posts include reasonably correct grammar and correctly spelled words.
There are a few caveats:
- Blogging is not necessarily a permanent way to "preserve" your information.
- Blogging shares whatever you post with the world immediately and from a practical standpoint, you may lose "control" over what you post.
- Blogging is very public, others may not like what you post.
There are two sites where you can set up a blog at no charge with minimal technical experience:
There are other sites--these are just two.
This post was meant to get those who have not really thought about blogging to consider giving it a try--or at least give it a second thought. You don't have to blog every day. In fact it is better to wait until you have something to actually say instead of thinking that you must blog every day.
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This post was written because a recent post turned up a distant relative--now I just need to respond to her email.
