Students are assigned research projects and papers throughout their 

schooling. Employees are

tasked to present information to clients and employers. It seems easy-you gather information and
write what you know, but learning how to research properly can lead to higher quality projects with
fewer problems.
Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
Plan and Gather
1. 1
Choose a topic, or have one assigned to you.
2. 2
Plan your research. Think about what you already know and what you need to know. Write down some
keywords and questions you need answered.
3. 3
Devise a project timeline to help you manage your time. The last thing you want to do is get behind before you
even start.
4. 4
Go to the library. This is the best place to find factual information and people who understand research.
5. 5
Check the library's card catalog or computer catalog for your key words.
6. 6
Find books, encyclopedias, journals and any other materials that pertain to your topic. You may need maps,
atlases, magazines or other items-think outside of just books.
7. 7
Search the Internet for information as well but remember to document your sources accurately.

Note, Outline and Report

8. 1
Begin to take notes. Use note cards or color-coding for larger projects to stay organized.
9. 2
Photocopy pages with graphics you may need later, or pages with too much information to write down
yourself.
10. 3
Note any answers to your starting questions and highlight according to importance.
11. 4
Keep a bibliography list, adding every source you use. Also add the source on each page of your notes so you
can easily attach sources to quotes later.
12. 5
Read through your information and organize any materials and note cards.
13. 6
 Write an outline of your facts and the order in which you want to present them. You may want to write the
outline in your own words rather than quote your notes since most presentations require that you not just quote
your facts but explain what they mean.
14. 7
Report what you found in the medium required. This should be fairly easy if you took great notes, answered
your questions and created a strong outline.
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Tips & Warnings

 Ask a librarian for help. If you are not finding what you need, the librarian may be able to find
materials and come up with another way to search.
 Use a style guide such as the MLA handbook to correctly cite your sources.
 Search for additional sources on your topic in the bibliographies of books or articles you
have already found useful.
 Don't plagiarize! Put the facts into your own words and quote and cite anything you cannot.
 Don't trust every Internet site. Look for organizations or databases and stay away from
personal pages.
 Avoid taking notes on every fact that looks interesting. Remember to answer your questions
and cover the topic. Recording extra "cool facts" may mean having too much information to sift
through later.

Read more: How to Conduct Research | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2053926_do-

research.html#ixzz1FplPIxBX
You are here: Home / Freelance Writing / 6 Ways to Conduct Accurate Research

6 Ways to Conduct Accurate

Research
By Deborah Ng onJanuary 29, 2008.32 Comments

I’m always complaining about the lack of work put into a lot of web content. Thanks to low-paying
jobs and people who can’t really write or conduct research applying for these gigs, we’re faced with
an overwhelming amount of poorly written, factually incorrect web content. When I suggested people
stop Googling and rehashing content for their research I was met with a flood of angry "can you
make a better suggestion?" type emails. Why yes, yes I can.

I realize if you’re making a couple of dollars to write a piece of content, you can’t be expected to put
your all into it. Indeed I would just make up something off the top of my head for that price. But then,
I wouldn’t write for two bucks.

If you’re being paid accordingly for your efforts, it should stand to reason you’re making some effort
and that means taking the time to thoroughly research your topic. I realize it’s much easier to punch
a few words into a search engine and rewrite what you find, but that’s just adding to the problem. Try
some of these suggestions for article research.

1. Visit the library. The library is a wonderful resource for research. Back in the day, long
before the Internet, most writers, reporters and journalists would spend hours at the library
poring over research materials. Nothing’s changed, the library is still a great place to find
everything you need.
2. Books, magazines, and periodicals. All of these can be found, of course, at the library.
You can also purchase back issues of newspapers and magazines and some newspapers will
give you free access to their microfiche.
3. Public records – Your county courthouse has property deeds, birth and death certificates,
info regarding court cases and more.
4. People - If you really want to know about a specific topic, interview experts in the field.
 5. The Internet – I know. I already complained about the Internet. Still, if you take the time to
weed through the crap, you’ll find some gems. The most reliable sites end in .edu, .gov and
.org. This doesn’t mean that because they end in .org or .edu they’re accurate. Use your best
judgement.
6. The Government – The Government is very helpful and will send you free literature for
many subjects.
How do you conduct your research? If you use the Internet how do you know what you’re reading
isn’t factually incorrect or just the same old rehashed content?

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