# research, how?



## pkwrite78 (Mar 1, 2013)

[h=2][/h]wondering about the research that one has to do before actually writing about a topic, subject, I am no expert in any field, but want to share some info I gather, research on the net, and express my opinions etc kind of, so how to go about researching a particular subject?

Lets say, I want to write about travelling? now how should I research travel, for articles to write, for blog to design etc?​


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## shadowwalker (Mar 1, 2013)

Normally, I would say you could find most information needed on the internet (info sites, blogs, connecting with people, etc) or the library. But that's for fiction. Nonfiction - especially something like travel - requires more than that, imho. Why would I read a blog or article about traveling by someone who hasn't been there, done that? Something like that requires expertise/experience/credentials. Otherwise you're just regurgitating what other people have written, and your opinions won't have much credence. Even giving reviews of what other people have written requires some level of expertise in the subject or it's just another Joe Blow voicing an opinion.


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## C.M. Aaron (Mar 1, 2013)

Start reading. It doesn't really matter where you start, you'll get around to everything sooner or later. Pay attention to bibliographies. They list authors and titles in your field. Expect to read at least a hundred books before you'll have any knowledge worth publishing. Keep an eye out for a unique angle, something that hasn't been done before. Keep track of your sources. You'll come across as more authoritative if you cite sources via footnotes.


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## pkwrite78 (Mar 1, 2013)

shadowwalker said:


> Normally, I would say you could find most information needed on the internet (info sites, blogs, connecting with people, etc) or the library. But that's for fiction. Nonfiction - especially something like travel - requires more than that, imho. Why would I read a blog or article about traveling by someone who hasn't been there, done that? Something like that requires expertise/experience/credentials. Otherwise you're just regurgitating what other people have written, and your opinions won't have much credence. Even giving reviews of what other people have written requires some level of expertise in the subject or it's just another Joe Blow voicing an opinion.




In that case, I am afraid, I cant ever write on anything , may be, cause, I am not expert in any field  I cant write much about technology, I am no geek, or nerd or whatever, cooking, I am a bad cook, travelling, haven't done much of travelling, and so on and so forth, 

Do you think, novel writers, story writers write stuff about what they have experienced etc, its all creativity, I guess.

what I am asking, wondering  is, can we not write by gathering information, researching, getting all/most of the important information that the prospective readers would be looking for not just in case of travel writing but many other subjects as well. 

Like I want to write about television, now I am in India, I cant write about TV stuff in USA, I have worked for a satellite services company ( call center for one of the American company, we used to answer tech & billing related questions of US Customers over the phone from India) 

or even If I want to write on English, having worked for american call centers, I fell in love with the language, I am no authority on the language, I don't think  my grammar skills are excellent, my oral, communication skills good though, so If I am not an expert in a subject, or haven't done stuff myself, like travelling, cooking, watching tv, etc etc, my writing wouldn't get any readers? I am afraid.


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## shadowwalker (Mar 1, 2013)

If you're going to write nonfiction, you need to look at the things you have done or experienced and write about them. If you're not a good cook, you wouldn't want to write a how-to on cooking - but you could write about your experiences with cooking, the problems you've run into, things like that. But otherwise, yeah, you do need to know what you're writing about.


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## Rustgold (Mar 1, 2013)

pkwrite78 said:


> In that case, I am afraid, I cant ever write on anything , may be, cause, I am not expert in any field  I cant write much about technology, I am no geek, or nerd or whatever, cooking, I am a bad cook, travelling, haven't done much of travelling, and so on and so forth,
> 
> Do you think, novel writers, story writers write stuff about what they have experienced etc, its all creativity, I guess.



If you're writing to be an expert on something, you're not writing a fiction novel.


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## Lewdog (Mar 1, 2013)

pkwrite78 said:


> In that case, I am afraid, I cant ever write on anything , may be, cause, I am not expert in any field  I cant write much about technology, I am no geek, or nerd or whatever, cooking, I am a bad cook, travelling, haven't done much of travelling, and so on and so forth,
> 
> Do you think, novel writers, story writers write stuff about what they have experienced etc, its all creativity, I guess.
> 
> ...



You can't just snap your fingers and be an expert at anything.  You have to study, just like you did in school.


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## moderan (Mar 1, 2013)

90% of writing is research.


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## ppsage (Mar 1, 2013)

You could probably sell an article about being a call center worker in India. Maybe spin it towards a Sunday suppliment sort of deal. If you put in an email address, the seventeen billion messages you get will probably suggest another piece.


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## pkwrite78 (Mar 2, 2013)

moderan said:


> 90% of writing is research.




Great, wondering what are my resources, options , of research, where should I look up the information?


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## Angelwing (Mar 2, 2013)

You simply can't write about traveling to somewhere you've never been. Not to brag, but I took a cruise to Alaska-I could write about my experiences in different Alaskan towns with people, learning history, etc. I could write about experiences from traveling in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico, South Dakota, and California-but I couldn't write about experiences in Venice, as I've never been there. I could write about building plastic scaled models, but have no experience in snowboarding, so I wouldn't write about snowboarding...see what I mean? 

Part of the reason for the fiction genre is that you can make up your own facts.


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## C.M. Aaron (Mar 2, 2013)

Your two main sources are the internet and libraries/bookstores. The internet is convenient, but that convenience tends to lower the quality of the information. Anyone can publish on the internet, even people who don't know what they're talking about. For quality information, you still have to read books. Writing a book and getting it published is difficult. Lazy people tend not to see it through. If someone has published a book, they probably applied that same work ethic to their research, so the information in the book is probably reliable. Also consider professional journals. Many of these are peer reviewed, so that is another check on the quality of the information in the article.  When you have exhausted the books in your local library, don't overlook the inter-library loan program. That will let you access books from other libraries. That's why I mentioned bibliographies before as a source for other authors and titles in your field.


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## pkwrite78 (Mar 2, 2013)

C.M. Aaron said:


> Your two main sources are the internet and libraries/bookstores. The internet is convenient, but that convenience tends to lower the quality of the information. Anyone can publish on the internet, even people who don't know what they're talking about. For quality information, you still have to read books. Writing a book and getting it published is difficult. Lazy people tend not to see it through. If someone has published a book, they probably applied that same work ethic to their research, so the information in the book is probably reliable. Also consider professional journals. Many of these are peer reviewed, so that is another check on the quality of the information in the article.  When you have exhausted the books in your local library, don't overlook the inter-library loan program. That will let you access books from other libraries. That's why I mentioned bibliographies before as a source for other authors and titles in your field.



Thanks a ton, I really appreciate info


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## Lewdog (Mar 2, 2013)

There is no research better than first hand experience.  Someone will never be able to write about traveling if they have never been there.  Certain things can not be witnessed and portrayed in second hand communication.  Smells, sounds, the looks on people's faces, there are just aspects that you will never know unless you have been there.

If you really want to become an expert about something, find something that you can learn and research yourself.


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## moderan (Mar 2, 2013)

pkwrite78 said:


> Great, wondering what are my resources, options , of research, where should I look up the information?


Everywhere. The sources are all around you, depending on what you need to research. I like to go and talk to experts if I can. If not I try to call or email, and then ask them where they get their info. If one is respectful instead of impertinent, it almost always works.
For example-I spent two years learning about Mars, for an as-yet-incomplete novel. I had scientifically-oriented friends point me to books, and then ferreted out the writers of those books and asked them questions, and they sent me to other experts...a lot of whom were fortunately in the town I live in, where the local college is heavily involved in R&D for the space program, such as it is.
When I needed material for a noir piece, I talked to real cops. I corresponded with a real second-story man.
I like wikipedia as a starting point too. The articles are generally of better quality than they're reputed to be. The citations are usually goldmines.


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## Olly Buckle (Mar 2, 2013)

> In that case, I am afraid, I cant ever write on anything , may be, cause, I am not expert in any field I cant write much about technology, I am no geek, or nerd or whatever, cooking, I am a bad cook, travelling, haven't done much of travelling, and so on and so forth,


It seems to me that you are focussing on what you don't know rather than on what yo do know.

You could write about not being a technogeek and how 'normal' people cope with technology.

You could write something humorous about bad cooking and what not to do.

You could write about your home town. 

See what I mean?


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## js1268 (Mar 6, 2013)

pkwrite78 said:


> wondering about the research that one has to do before actually writing about a topic, subject, I am no expert in any field, but want to share some info I gather, research on the net, and express my opinions etc kind of, so how to go about researching a particular subject?
> 
> Lets say, I want to write about travelling? now how should I research travel, for articles to write, for blog to design etc?​



imo, you ought to immerse yourself in the subject.... i'm fascinated with the static discussions that occur in forums- not so dissimilar from this one- about anything... i'll often peruse forums and search for the back-and-forths that take place outside the intended topic... that way i get a more of a sense of someone's personality... sometimes, i'll even instigate and become part of the "discussion"

for example, there is a group on facebook about the hometown I was raised.... it's open to virtually everyone...but, what has happened is that it has come to be dominated by baby-boomers who, instead of discussing current issues surrounding the city, choose to post old photographs of the city and threads pertaining to the "who, what, when and wheres" of a time gone by.... it's essentially a virtual time machine.... now, what i did was inject myself into the various discussions to elicit the personalities of those starting threads and posting comments...of course, eventually becoming a sort of persona non grata ....which was fine... i was able to glean much from doing so!


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