Your article or book should contain information that a child
or adult cannot find for himself by casually consulting an
encyclopedia or surfing the net or going to the library.
1) Encyclopedia,
almanac, or dictionary – Use as a starting point in your research of a topic.
2) Internet
– Be careful of your sources here.
Incorrect information is often repeated word-for-word on many
websites. Generally speaking, the
information found on a college/university website (.edu) or those sponsored by
a museum or historical/professional society (.org) or the government (.gov) are
usually reliable.
3) Children’s
books – Use these first to better understand your subject; however, don’t use
these exclusively. Children’s books give
clear, concise information about a subject, but you will need to know more
detailed, complex information before you can write your article or book.
4) Newspapers
and magazines – These may give you more up-to-date information on your subject
that hasn’t been published in books yet.
They will also show you different slants and approaches to your subject
that you might not have thought of before.
5) Government
documents, public records, reports from organizations or companies – These may
have statistics you can use. They may
also help you spot trends or attitudes of the public and private sectors.
6) Classical
books – These are books that have been used as references because of their
accuracy and/or subject matter.
7) Current
books on the topic – Use the most up-to-date adult books you can find on your
subject.
8) Your
local librarian – He or she can be a wealth of information.
9) Interviews
– Talk to people who work in the field of your topic. Be sure to use interesting quotes and
anecdotes from them. These people have
an in-depth knowledge about your subject.
10) Expert
reviews – The expert may be one of the people you’ve already interviewed, or
else it’s someone from a college or university, from a museum, or perhaps from
a professional or historical organization.
Ask this person to read your article for accuracy. You can also ask this person for quotes
and/or anecdotes to include in your article.
(Try www.profnet.com for experts
who don’t charge.)
