This week I'll be doing a quick post on some changes I've made to data gathering procedure, and updates to the Data & Notes page on the blog site.
Over the last couple of weeks, as I've been finding more and more artists whose complete discographies do not appear to be available in digital form, I've become dissatisfied with my original data collection procedure. Trying to include all the information about the missing albums on the one spreadsheet did not make my data easily readable or understandable. It felt like too much information to be trying to squeeze into a couple of cells on a spreadsheet. I therefore decided to move the information about missing albums over to a new spreadsheet, which I believe will make it easier to conduct analysis later on in the semester, plus its easier to read and comprehend. To be more specific, for every "No" in column G on the original datasheet (called "Folkways Data Spreadsheet") there are entry(s) in the new spreadsheet (called "Missing Albums Spreadsheet") depending on how many albums were missing per artist. The link to this new spreadsheet is on the Data & Notes page off the main page of the blog, and should be view-able to anyone with the link. In making this change I won't be losing any information which was something I was concerned about, and though it adds another step to the gathering process, in terms of output and data simplicity I think its worth it. The change has also been reflected in my Data Gathering Process page.
With the new expanded information, it will be easier to find patterns in the data. This could include windows of time where there are more albums not digitized, or labels which keep popping up over and over. Looking at the data I have now, it would probably be worth it to look into the list of recording labels I have currently compiled and find out whether they are still in business, where the ownership to this music lies, and some possible reasons why they haven't digitized this older content. I'll try to do a post on that information in the next couple of weeks. Also on my itinerary with regards to the project is beginning a research paper on copyright specifically within the music industry. Once complete that paper will be posted in its own page on the blog.
Can you please expand on item #6 on the Data Gathering page? There it says the item is missing in Spotify. Did you check other possible sources? And when you say missing, you mean in digital form, right? For example, on eBay I found Earl Robinson's Alive and Well for sale - vinyl versions.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me the vinyl existing "out there" is important and is different from the case where even those copies are not to be found. In other words, the vinyl versions might yet be digitized.
Other than that, it seems your are getting the hang of it. I'd be curious to hear how you feel your doing with this stuff.