The research method used in “Papers Of the Past” combined an empirical study with analysis of extraneous factors for the nations oldest newspapers. This methodology of using a combination of the empirical and theory based research would serve especially well when looking at the influence of public policy. One such example would be to look at the views held over a pipeline being built between Northern California and Southern California. A research question that could be posed is who is in support of the pipeline would be popular support within the state. Looking at data from newspapers such as the LA times and San Francisco chronicle, the differences in language shows a clear difference in who is in support of the project.

Now obviously to get an appropriate data a multitude of newspapers would have to be entered, but the differences in opinion based upon location indicate that the research method used from “Papers Of the Past” would serve to reach a more definite answer to the question.

 

-Brandon, Ashley, Dylan, and Jaime