Article Writing Research?

[Disclaimer: these comments are NOT aimed at the posters quoted specifically. I don't know enough about how they operate to make that kind of connection.]

The problem with all of the suggestions below is that you have to assume that the articles you're using are even close to accurate. Given the quality of the articles submitted to one of my sites, that could be a dangerous assumption - especially if you're going to muck around in the health niches.

Too many article marketers are trying to establish themselves as experts in fields where the only thing they know for sure is that Clickbank has an ebook with a high commission for sale. So they put out mounds of drivel and outright misinformation, both through ignorance and greed.

Folks, it's okay to quote recognized experts when making points in an article. It doesn't take away from your credibility; it lets you 'borrow' some of the expert's.

Check out those .edu and .gov sites, and scan the original research. Look how many times even brilliant academics acknowledge the work that came before theirs.

If you're going to take the easy way, please stay away from subject where getting bad information could cost someone a lot more than money...

I'll climb down off my soapbox now. Here's another tip for finding truly useful information for an article campaign. Look to professional associations and trade groups - they do tons of research and make it available on their web sites. Spend the time to dig out the good stuff and write an article that contributes something, and your efforts to establish yourself as an expert will be much more effective than skimming a few articles by bum marketers and regurgitating their own recycled verbal vomit.

The recommendations already made can be both good and bad, depending on the sources you find. Facts in articles aren't necessarily true and neither is content on web sites, even those that "claim" to be experts yet are not affiliated with any recognized organizations in their niche.

If you just want general information, you can get some good tips from articles on the directories and various sites. If you are familiar with your topic, you might be able to distinguish the rubbish from the facts.

From those tips, you can either add your own knowledge or seek experts on qualified sites.

If you want truly accurate articles, look for specific organizations in your niche. For instance, if you are writing on a health topic (ie: strokes), go to the Heart & Stroke site for qualified information. Go to the online libraries where you can run searches for your particular topic. Talk to stop-smoking program operators through the Red Cross or health dept.

When researching topics that do not have a specific organization affiliated with them, you will have little choice but to rely on the so-called "experts" who have studied the subject themselves. People offering advice about aromatherapy, for instance, will know what works from any studies they have done, ie: referencing official research and testing. If you can figure out who does that testing, that would be the place to get accurate details. This applies to any topic.

Sometimes, it's just not possible to know who to believe. Dog training is one. Everyone has their own ideas about effective methods, but other trainers will reject them for their own.

In the end, it's a judgment call on your part deciding which sources to trust.

Sylvia