While we are currently focused on integrating data stories into the education modules, gathering interview material is still an important part of expanding our project. Over the past week I have been fortunate to connect with some potential interviewees and even conduct an interview.
Last week the International Space Station (ISS) Research and Development Conference took place here in Denver. I immediately made plans to attend a day of presentations, seeing the conference as an opportunity to both fuel my interest in space exploration and make some contacts for the Data Stories project. As an intern with this project, I have already met some extraordinary researchers and become acquainted with their impressive work. At the conference, I was surrounded by hundreds of brilliant minds in the field of astronauticsโฆ a very humbling experience for a graduate student!
During the session, I met several researchers who enthusiastically described what they were working on. Some spoke casually of their research, while others made use of intricate models and technical phrases specific to their discipline. But through all the jargon, it was clear that their stories offered a wealth of experience that would make a nice addition to our existing data stories. Many researchers were intrigued by the project and even expressed interest in having their stories told. So after exchanging contact information and making plans for phone interviews, I left the conference anticipating another busy and exciting week.
In our next blog post, I’ll provide an update on interviews and subsequent data stories.