Good research is the backbone of non-fiction writing. Journalism is more than simply collecting information and regurgitating it. Nothing substitutes for good research
Keep a record of all books you use for research as well as the websites you use. You never know when you might be asked where you got your information. If you quote directly you must acknowledge the source. Usually it's easier to paraphrase information then you don't have to worry.
Plan ahead and do the research for special anniversaries well ahead of time. For instance, the history behind national holidays like Canada Day, Martin Luther King Day, Boxing Day, St. Andrew’s Day, and others.
Other writers can be a good source of information and inspiration. You can broaden your approach to your own writing and pick up information at the same time. Remember to read with a writer's eye. Make a note of any information that may be of use to you.
New ideas or angles often crop up while you research. Always write them down immediately.
Do not fall in love with your research. Knowing where to draw the line will come to you in time (a sharp angle helps too).
Stick to Dependable Sources
Keep track of what your sources are. One person might write "3,390 people are killed or hurt in motorway accidents every year." Another writes "Last year the department of transport tallied 3,390 motorway accidents."
Which sounds more like a fact? Has more impact? If the source of your fact is authoritative it lends more credibility.
If you say that x number of people were injured in motorway accidents, without attributing the number to anyone else, in effect you are standing behind the accuracy of the statement. If, instead, you include the source of your information you are reporting it. Aside from being more authoritative, it also leaves you in the clear if someone else got the numbers wrong.
There are two basic kinds of sources. If you get your information directly from the expert's mouth, that's a primary source. If, instead, you take information from a newspaper story, article, book, etc. you're using a secondary source.
It's very important to get your facts right, but often you won't have enough time to check the primary source of every statement you come across. The best way to cover yourself as well as possible is to:
- Whenever possible, start at the primary source.
- When using a secondary source, try to double check with at least one independent secondary source
- Report information accurately and, unless there's a reason for not doing so, identify your source.
Sources of Information
- Manufacturers of everything from nuts to educational tools are all out to promote their products. Many produce packets of information for writers (press kits and press releases). Get on their mailing lists if it's a subject you are really interested in.
- Build your own reference library:
- A good dictionary
- Writers and artists yearbooks
- Roget's Thesaurus
- A good book on grammar and English usage: i.e Fowler's Modern English Usage or Strunk & Whites "The Elements of Style".
Much of this can, of course, be obtained on-line but many journalists find it handy to have the information they use consistantly on their desk. It’s a matter of choice. Whatever suits you best.
How to be a Freelance Journalist - Contacting Editors
