Internet Research

How to Research on the Internet

Write what you know… Here we go again! No really, write what you know. If you don’t know about what you want to write about, do the research.

Today, all you who are just breaking into the field of writing have got it easy. I started writing professionally over 32 years ago and guess what; there was no technology to help me out.

If I needed to learn about the fur trade, I had to drive to Quebec to the International Fur Trade Conference and pick the minds of experts. If I needed to look for information in the history of lumbering, I had to call around to different university libraries and track down the collections archivist and ask what they had in their holdings that might give me insight. I would talk, they would listen and explain they would have to check their collections list and snail mail me an inventory list (generally taking 7 to10 days of waiting). After that I would have to travel to the location ($$), no matter if it was in a different state or country, stay in a hotel ($$), no matter how long it would take to preview, read and hand copy the information from the documents in the collections, return home ($$) and hope and pray I “found” the best source from the best collection, to base my writings on.

All this took months and years. My average mss took me 3-5 years of on-sight research. It was a fabulous, time consuming, expensive way to learn and do research. Thank God that today, because of the Internet, it is so much easier and cheaper.

When I first started doing research online, I was lucky to find a university library that listed what was in their collections. Generally, the only thing listed was the time and location of the facility. Now, not only is it the time and location, I can find the collections list, the rare book list, and the archival list from most any institution and in most cases those facilities are now putting their documents online to read, print, and use for educational purposes. It is amazing. There is no excuse today for sloppy research for story ideas.

Word of warning: whenever you are using a source from the Internet, be positive it is from a site you can trust. Not just a Web site created by someone who has an interest or an imagination concerning the topic you are looking for. Please note: anyone can write anything they want and post it on the Web. Look for trusted, reliable professionals and well known collections to help you in your quest.

In research, you must first figure out what you will need. Ask yourself: “What do I already know?” “What do I need to find out?” (Make a list!). Next, ask yourself: “How do I refine what I need?” (Who the audience is will determine the refinement.)

Also ask: “What sources of information is available to me?” Because I come from a different learning in research, I always recommend a trip to the library. Of course, I know you access the library on the Internet. So, if it is the Internet, make a list of Keywords that relate to your search. You might even want to go to the University of South Carolina to check out “Searching the Web” http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml for some help.

Always remember: Anyone with a computer can create a Web site… Not all sites are created equal. There is no complete list of Web sites. There is no one "person" who checks for accuracy on Web sites. New sites appear and disappear everyday and therefore so does your cited information.

To help in your research you will probably want to check Directories, Search Engines, Metasearch Engines, and Portals. I will cover more on these locations the next few blog postings.

How to evaluate “general” Web sites:

• Ask yourself: Who is the author and what credentials do they have on the subject? (Should be listed on the site under FAQ or Biographical Sheet)
• Are there professional organizational links that lead you to primary source materials such as archival collections or libraries?
• Any pop-up advertisements on the site? Beware!
• When was the last update? When and where does the information come from?
• Is the information based on facts or opinions? Facts only with research!
• What is the quality of the site? The information? Check for grammar and spelling.

Now, with this type of information you can begin your Internet research.

In the next few postings I will dig deeper into research and collecting information, both on and off the Internet.

Write what you know!