Musings on Finding Research Contacts

In my last post I mentioned internet searches, Wikipedia and journals/magazines as sources for research. There will probably be times when you look at these and still don’t feel as though you understand the topic well. So what’s next?

Find an expert. Use whatever contacts you have to see if they know anything about the topic or know someone who knows ...

1.      Ask your client to recommend someone you can talk to. (I do this when I accept a job. I mention that it might be helpful to talk to someone to find out the latest and can they recommend someone. They may be able to, they may not. Leave it too late to ask them and you’ll look like you don’t know what you’re doing, and that’s the last thing you want.)

2.      Check your LinkedIn contacts list (I do hope you have one!)

3.      Check out the LinkedIn groups. Are there any groups on the topic? Who’s active on the discussion?

4.      Collect names from the searches you’ve done. Who has written articles? Who has been quoted? Can you find an email address for them? Or a phone number?

Make sure you keep records of all your contacts. They’re a valuable resource and you’ve invested time and effort into finding them. Keep them up-to-date.

Most importantly, let your expert know how valuable they have been. Thank them. Acknowledge them in your article if that’s appropriate. And if ever they ask you for a favour, make sure you try to help them out.

There are plenty of books on research. One I’ve found particularly useful is The Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb and Williams. And remember an internet search on research techniques will swamp you with more than enough links to get you on your way.

Musings about Article Writing: You've Got a Topic. Now What?

Sometimes as a freelance writer I’m lucky. Clients employ me to write articles about topics I know something about. Other times I’m employed for my writing skills alone, rather than my knowledge. In both cases I need to do some research. Of course how much or how little depends on what I know already. 

Anyone who knows me well knows I’m a hoarder. I love collecting information. I love researching. My biggest problem is knowing when to stop. But when it’s a new topic, the problem is often knowing where to start.

In case this is a challenge you face too, I thought I’d share a couple of musings with you.

1.  Ask your client for a short list of key words or concepts, some of the jargon that’s used by people who know about the topic
2. Use these words/concepts for targeted internet search using your favourite search engine – I say use your favourite because you’re comfortable with it and know how it works, which means you will be able to find information more quickly
3. Scan through the sites. If any of them are for journals or specialist magazines, take a quick look and see if you think they will throw any light on the topic
4. Take a look at Wikipedia – it’s not always reliable, it’s not always comprehensive, but it does often provide a ‘quick and dirty’ view of the topic to get you started

Robert W. Bly has a great list in his book Secrets of a Freelance Writer and my next post on this blog will have a few more ideas.

Do you have any tips for researching new topics?