Research Process

I have had no trouble at all finding sources.  I first looked for sources with a simple google search, this gave me some ideas on where to look further.  A few of the scientists that I am citing as experts have done TED talks, and many of them have youtube videos dedicated to their research.  There are few books on the subject of  do it yourself biology, and it took me awhile to find some that would contribute to my topic.  The auraria library site has been of great help to me, as most of the articles associated with my topic are in medical journals and require Metros credentials to access.

The sources that I am having trouble finding are mainly concerning law enforcement.  The Department of Homeland Security has commented a few times in articles about garage biology, but has not released anything substantial on the subject.  I think that i will have to contact these agencies directly if I am to obtain the information I require.

After reading many articles on do it yourself biology, I have had to change the focus of my argument from "should DIY biology be regulated", to "does DIY biology pose a danger to the public security and safety of the nation".  As I have little background in biology or engineering, everything that I research is a learning experience.  Much of what I thought I knew about biology and nature in general, has been changed by what I have read.  The acceleration of genetic coding science has progressed farther then I would have imagined.  I am also learning that we as a nation are not as safe as we would like to believe.  The parallels between the rise of synthetic biology and the rise of computer technology raise many disturbing and exciting  ethical questions concerning the future of science.

The main obstacle that I have been confronted with is my own ignorance.  Many of the articles and videos that I have encountered are full of scientific and technical terms that I am not familiar with. I am having to familiarize myself with the basics just to glean information from my sources.  This has also caused trouble when I am looking for sources in the scientific databases.  I am sure that I have missed sources that could have been helpful to me because I did not understand what they were about.  Of course as my research continues, my knowledge of the subject increases.  Hopefully my learning curve will be sufficient to overcome my lack of knowledge.