-- a university of arizona
course on methods and approaches for studying the future
Maintaining Awareness
Without Overload
Individuals vary in their preferred approach to maintaining awareness about
a subject. However, with futures research the problem is much greater, because
of the multiple disciplines that have to be followed. Information can rapidly
become a burden rather than an asset. Perhaps we can break this into three
major areas, recognizing many possibilities exist.
1. Reading Summaries
of Futures Articles. There are not a large number of these, and the best is
probably Future Survey The value is a brief summary of a range of articles
produced monthly. It takes little time and represents many perspectives and
disciplines.
2. Using electronic means
to look up specialized documents. While this is not strictly maintaining an
awareness, it is finding new information, it represents a technique to cross
disciplines on a timely basis. With computer searching (either on compact
disks or online) good representation of topics. To do this effectively you
need access and understanding of search strategies.
3. Read broadly. Select
a range of "good" sources that represent the disciplines of most
importance.
General books and
magazines (not advertised as 'futures' literature) - two examples.
Conferences, listservs,
or other discussion forums
Organizations
that deal with the future hold conferences and often have listservs (mostly
for members). These are good places to get a diversity of perspective and
to get a feeling for current issues of interest to others that are interested
in the future.
Newsletters (print
or electronic)
Future Survey
is probably the most comprehensive and futures oriented newsletter available
(see more information at the World Future Society
- a sample issue is available on-line). It is a monthly publication that contains
abstracts/summaries of many different futures sources. Different subject areas
are covered in each issue.
Various consulting groups
have newsletters for their members (but these are often too expensive for
the average reader).
