Let’s talk about your Writing: Researching for your Writing How should I organise my research?
If you want to write a believable piece of fiction, research is a key part of the writing process. That means that your research skills and the way you organise and use your research are very important to your success!
What sources can we use to research? You might use numerous sources when researching your writing. It really depends on the topic but here are some examples: 1. Interview. 2. Books. 3. Internet. 4. Articles. 5. Reviewing records. Interviews are useful if you want to discuss specific information with a particular person. For instance if you were writing about a certain period of time or a personal experience, like a war for instance, you might interview someone who had been involved with that event to help you get in the mindset of what that might be like. Books are useful as they can give you ideas and help you to expand your imagination. The internet can tell you almost anything you need to know about anything. You must ensure that your sources are
A lot of people are fine actually doing the research but when it comes to pulling it all together, How should I research? they don’t know where to start with all the information they have and You need to choose your sources this is because they haven’t carefully. You should always read organised their research effectively. an abstract, introduction, or blurb if you are reading a book or article There is not just one way of that is lengthy. This will help you organising your research, but many. determine if your research is This means that it’s up to the relevant to your writing. Dip in researcher (you) how you organise and out to relevant sections or your research. chapters and collect the information relevant to your Some people prefer a paper-based research. This may include method of research. This could making a note or typing the mean storing your different pieces relevant reference and information of research in a file. Often this is into a document for recording. If printed documents, highlighted and you are interviewing someone, often annotated. You can then put ensure you choose your questions them in a relevant order carefully. Ensure that they are (alphabetical, numerical, or relevant to your research. Write a chronological) and then you can list of what you need to know for even divide your files into sections. your writing piece and construct For instance, if you were arguing a your questions from your list. specific point, you may have information in support of an If you are reviewing records, you argument and then a section of can skim read until you find a information that is against that relevant part or sometimes you can argument. Sometimes you might search in order of date. The even have further sections like internet is probably the easiest useful quotes, or a list of back up method but as I mentioned sources that include a reference, previously, you need to make sure page number, and possibly line information is authentic and not number too! bogus. You can do this by looking at the author and their other If you are collecting an interview publications, checking the date and but you have more than one (or site that their writing was even a survey) you may wish to use published and make sure you a spreadsheet document and collate provide a reference. Websites like everyone’s answers on the same Wikepedia are only useful for sheet for analytical purposes. directing you to sources as you have to be careful and double Maybe you copy and paste things check that the information into a Word document along with published is correct. their reference and then once you
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