Researching for an Article

[Wshelt21]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new here and wanted not only to introduce myself to all the writers here, but to also ask a question. I want to write a public request article about a specific topic that requires a little research and I don't want to use unreliable sites and resources. So I was wondering where do you all go when you need information on a subject that might not know alot about. I honestly think that I can write it, I'm just really nervous about keeping up with the high standards of this site, so I keep putting it off..

Thank you so much for your time!

[jellygator]

I use Internet sources at times, but I consider how valid a source is. I prefer to find sources that are not offering a product to sell, and the information is written by somebody with proven expertise on the subject matter.

I'd reject information from www.healthstore.com, for instance, but accept Dr. Soandso's report posted on a hospital website or university site.

I still use actual books, too.

[sleepydoc]

Hi there. I write health articles. I have a subscription to MDConsult to access journal articles and medical textbooks and use this to a large extent.

When using internet sources, I use google. In the search box, I type site:.edu or site:.gov, followed by my search terms. This will bring up only educational institutions (universities and medical training institutions) and governement websites (such as the NIH, etc). That could work for a lot of topics. You still have to be careful, though. I've noticed that, recently, some not-so-reputable companies have managed to get .edu sites. For me, if I don't recognize it, I don't use it. That might be easier to do with medical topics than others, though.

Good luck.

[mnicol22]

Hello!

I thought I 'd chime in, since I have written articles on a variety of topics, most of which I had no idea about. I agree with jellygator that nobody should trust websites whose sole purpose is to sell, as there is a good chance the information they provide are inaccurate or deliberately falsified. On the other hand, University sites are great sources of information. For the rest of the Internet there are a few things you can do to make sure your information is valid:

Every topic has "the website of all websites", which means the best. If you intend to research specific topics over and over in the future, make sure that you find them. For example, PsychologyToday is a great source for psychology issues, CNET is great about technology reviews and so on.

Research not only the reputation of the website, but also of the person that provides the information. A simple google search should tell you whether you can trust him/her or not.

Avoid websites that are full of grammatical errors and look unprofessional. There are too many people out there that get paid too little to pay attention to quality, so I doubt that they spend too much time on research.

Cross-examine your information. Look for more than one sources that provide the same information. However, if the two articles seem awfully similar, they probably are. Look for another source.

Use variations of your keywords when searching. You will get more results this way.

Finally, one of the most helpful ways to find information about the topic that interests you is to look for the places where other people get their information from. Check relevant forums to see which websites regular users suggest.

Sorry for the lenthy post, I hope I'm not forgetting anything important! If you would like to share the topic, maybe I could help with the sources too! Anyway, good luck!

[Wshelt21]

Thanks everyone for the replies.


Jellygator thank you for the advice on how to spot good sources and thank you sleepydoc for the tip about the edu. google searches. Very helpful!!

And mnicol22 I appreciate you taking the time to write your post! I'm trying to write about the benefits of having a website to promote a business.

[mnicol22]

entrepreneur.com has all kinds of advice for businesses. I don't think I know of any other site for this topic, though!

[Celeste Stewart]

Wshelt21, a customer sent me this link last week:
http://www.hubspot.com/Default.aspx?app ... Charts.pdf
Lots of good stats about websites, blogs, social media, etc. from an authority site. You might find some inspiration or supporting facts to cite in this report.

[Wshelt21]

Thank you!
These resources are excellent!! Thank you!

[Sharajj]

Think link might be helpful.

http://searchedu.com/

I use mostly google books, .edu, .gov, Canadian gov't sites (I'm Canadian) and my own books. Online magazines are also great too.

[Judith]

I use some online sources that have been mentioned, but I also use the library and my own collection of books. Last but not least, Kindle, or a similar reader is a great way to have books at your fingertips in an instant. Plus I write about topics in my area of expertise.