Where to compile research for articles?

Going to the library, barnes and nobles or looking at magazines is a good way to read information and gather research for articles.

Debbie

You can do research at the library, authority websites on the topic, and related forums on the topic. Forums are rich with information and generally many will have a faq section that will go over the main topics of that specific niche.

Be very careful with the article directories. Some of the stuff on there is good, while some of it is downright garbage. I don't use them for any of my research. I also don't use Wikipedia, unless I have a very basic question. Then, I double-check what I got from Wikipedia somewhere else.

As you get more involved in your niche, you'll start to see which sites are authority ones. There will be some that you can spot right away - like WebMD or Mayo Clinic for medical topics, for example. If you're not sure about the info you're getting on a particular site, double-check it somewhere else. Sure, it will take you some extra time, but it could save you from publishing incorrect information and damaging your reputation.

Think of it as writing a research paper. You're simply gathering facts from a number of different sources. Putting it all together in a way that's interesting to read is your job. You'll have to find your own "voice" to do it (as it's not something you can get anywhere else).

And, of course, you should be finding enough interesting facts so that you can provide more information than the "other guys" in your niche. Just re-hashing the same ol' stuff as everyone else isn't going to cut it

You are just getting ideas from these sites, do not copy them or rewrite their articles. After reading several articles on these authority sites you will get a better understanding of your niche and be able to write about it logically.

I believe socialhydra is referring to EzineArticles.com. While their criteria for accepting articles is pretty strict on structure, grammar, spelling, and linking, their standards for fact-checking don't measure up.

Of course, they don't pretend to be a research library. They are a collection of articles available for syndication, presumably by publishers who know enough to eliminate the rubbish. Or publishers who don't care whether the info they pass along is correct or not.

1. It depends on what you mean by "research". In spite of their fact-checking shortcomings, article directories can be a source of ideas. For basic knowledge in a niche you know nothing about, you want reliable sources.

> Wikipedia usually isn't too bad for general background information.
> Google Books and Google Scholar can help you find authoritative information. In fact, taking scholarly research and making it accessible to a general audience is a valuable skill.
> Product manufacturers and their associated trade groups can be a treasure trove of market research.
> Amazon (with their 'look inside' feature) can be a good source for background information. Sometimes you can contact a book's author directly.

What you generally want to avoid are information sources you can't verify. This includes article directories, Squidoo lenses, Hub pages, etc. Basically any source SEO types can try to exploit for backlinks.

I'm not saying that they are all filled with nonsense. I'm saying that if you are just beginning in a niche you know nothing about, you have no way to separate the wheat from the manure.

2. If you follow (bad) advice, grab an article, and simply reword it line by line, that would indeed be stealing in my book.

On the other hand, collecting facts and ideas from multiple sources and using them to formulate your own take on things is what much of the publishing world is based on. If you do use a small bit from someone else, give them proper credit.