The title!!!!

This week I have become obsessed with the title. I do not know why, I have been thinking about it way too much and I was beginning to panic that I did not have one. I met with Clive, Friday 6th October 2006 and again he reassured me that the title was not something I should be fretting too much about; the title allowed me to gain some clarity about my ideas rather than define my Independent Study. The title would give me a sense of structure, which I would be able to return to throughout the project, to remember where I originally began if ever I felt completely lost.

I had moved forward in my idea to the use of language within the policy document and so I had been playing around with a variety of titles:

Birth to Three: A study of the language used within a section of a 'Birth to Three Matters' policy document

Instead of Birth to Three at the beginning Baby to Toddler

I did not like these as I hated the word 'used' as well as this the titles were too long and too narrow, they did not allow for much movement. I was then playing around with the words language meaning, langauge variation, the history, the language in Nursery communication. The idea of langauge and policy then arose, this suited me as my study was based around the language used in a policy document. Yet, it meant I did not have to use the awful word 'used' and it was not restricting me to any specific policy document. Clive and I were then discussing the idea of nursery communication, nursery provision and together the title:

Language and policy: An investigation into the construction of Nursery Provision

came about, I liked this title as it allowed me to have movement, whilst still providing a structure/framework of my ideas. I felt that in a couple of months time, if I found myself in a complete panic, I would be able to look at this title and remember where I had started and my original thoughts and ideas.

Clive has advised me to go away and sit in front of a computer and just write a mini essay! (not sure I like that word, it sends me into a panic)!!! on the title without any research or reading. This will allow me to create questions and to discover what I know, what I do not know and therefore what I need to find out for this study.

NB This title is not set in stone, it could and probably will change over the course of the project.