Whether you're a student, a journalist, or a business professional, knowing how to do high-quality research and writing using trustworthy data and sources, without giving in to the temptation of AI or ChatGPT, is a skill worth developing.
As I detail in my book Writing That Gets Noticed, locating credible databases and sources and accurately vetting information can be the difference between turning a story around quickly or getting stuck with outdated information.
For example, several years ago the editor of Parents.com asked for a hot-take reaction to country singer Carrie Underwood saying that, because she was 35, she had missed her chance at having another baby. Since I had written about getting pregnant in my forties, I knew that as long as I updated my facts and figures, and included supportive and relevant peer-reviewed research, I could pull off this story. And I did.
The story ran later that day, and it led to other assignments. Here are some tips I’ve learned that you should consider mastering before you turn to automated tools like generative AI to handle your writing work for you.
Find Statistics From Primary Sources
Identify experts, peer-reviewed research study authors, and sources who can speak with authority—and ideally, offer easily understood sound bites or statistics on the topic of your work. Great sources include professors at major universities and media spokespeople at associations and organizations.
For example, writer and author William Dameron pinned his recent essay in HuffPost Personal around a statistic from the American Heart Association on how LGBTQ people experience higher rates of heart disease based on discrimination. Although he first found the link in a secondary source (an article in The New York Times), he made sure that he checked the primary source: the original study that the American Heart Association gleaned the statistic from. He verified the information, as should any writer, because anytime a statistic is cited in a secondary source, errors can be introduced.
Dive Into Databases
Jen Malia, author of The Infinity Rainbow Club series of children’s books (whom I recently interviewed on my podcast), recently wrote a piece about dinosaur-bone hunting for Business Insider, which she covers in her book Violet and the Jurassic Land Exhibit.
After a visit to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Malia, whose books are set in Philadelphia, found multiple resources online and on the museum site that gave her the history of the Bone Wars, information on the exhibits she saw, and the scientific names of the dinosaurs she was inspired by. She also used the Library of Congress’ website, which offers digital collections and links to the Library of Congress Newspaper Collection.
Malia is a fan of searching for additional resources and citable documents with Google Scholar. “If I find that a secondary source mentions a newspaper article, I’m going to go to the original newspaper article, instead of just stopping there and quoting,” she says.
Your local public library is a great source of free information, journals, and databases (even ones that generally require a subscription and include embargoed research). For example, your search should include everything from health databases (Sage Journals, Scopus, PubMed) to databases for academic sources and journalism (American Periodical Series Online, Statista, Academic Search Premier) and databases for news, trends, market research, and polls (the Harris Poll, Pew Research Center, Newsbank, ProPublica).
Even if you find a study or paper that you can’t access in one of those databases, consider reaching out to the study’s lead author or researcher. In many cases, they’re happy to discuss their work and may even share the study with you directly and offer to talk about their research.
Get a Good Filtering System
For journalist Paulette Perhach’s article on ADHD in The New York Times, she used Epic Research to see “dual team studies.” That's when two independent teams address the same topic or question, and ideally come to the same conclusions. She recommends locating research and experts via key associations for your topic. She also likes searching via Google Scholar but advises filtering it for studies and research in recent years to avoid using old data. She suggests keeping your links and research organized. “Always be ready to be peer-reviewed yourself,” Perhach says.
When you are looking for information for a story or project, you might be inclined to start with a regular Google search. But keep in mind that the internet is full of false information, and websites that look trustworthy can sometimes turn out to be businesses or companies with a vested interest in you taking their word as objective fact without additional scrutiny. Regardless of your writing project, unreliable or biased sources are a great way to torpedo your work—and any hope of future work.
For Accuracy, Go to the Government
Author Bobbi Rebell researched her book Launching Financial Grownups using the IRS’ website. “I might say that you can contribute a certain amount to a 401K, but it might be outdated because those numbers are always changing, and it’s important to be accurate,” she says. “AI and ChatGPT can be great for idea generation,” says Rebell, “but you have to be careful. If you are using an article someone was quoted in, you don’t know if they were misquoted or quoted out of context.”
If you use AI and ChatGPT for sourcing, you not only risk introducing errors, you risk introducing plagiarism—there is a reason OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is being sued for downloading information from all those books.
Historically, the Loudest Isn’t the Best
Audrey Clare Farley, who writes historical nonfiction, has used a plethora of sites for historical research, including Women Also Know History, which allows searches by expertise or area of study, and JSTOR, a digital library database that offers a number of free downloads a month. She also uses Chronicling America, a project from the Library of Congress which gathers old newspapers to show how a historical event was reported, and Newspapers.com (which you can access via free trial but requires a subscription after seven days).
When it comes to finding experts, Farley cautions against choosing the loudest voices on social media platforms. “They might not necessarily be the most authoritative. I vet them by checking if they have a history of publication on the topic, and/or educational credentials.”
When vetting an expert, look for these red flags:
You can’t find their work published or cited anywhere.
They were published in an obscure journal.
Their research is funded by a company, not a university, or they are the spokesperson for the company they are doing research for. (This makes them a public relations vehicle and not an appropriate source for journalism.)
And finally, the best endings for virtually any writing, whether it’s an essay, a research paper, an academic report, or a piece of investigative journalism, circle back to the beginning of the piece, and show your reader the transformation or the journey the piece has presented in perspective.
As always, your goal should be strong writing supported by research that makes an impact without cutting corners. Only then can you explore tools that might make the job a little easier, for instance by generating subheads or discovering a concept you might be missing—because then you'll have the experience and skills to see whether it's harming or helping your work.
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Due to character limits, this will just be names of my OCs. You can get more information by clicking this link. I welcome nearly any question about my silly mary sues.
Adventure Quest: Chalia
Akira: Kuroda Emi
ATLA: Rimon Suu
Big Bang Theory: Alex Munroe
The Big Chill: Veronica Heather
Big Hero Six: Mati Spence, Masuyo Smith
Bleach: Chikako Aizen, Hotaru Kurosaki, Halcyon Boosalis
Buckaroo Banzai: Sage Spence
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Isolabella Dawson
Cats & Dogs: Aurora Lee Phantasm
Chainsaw Man: Moe Nagamine
Channel Awesome: Avalon SexehTwilight Mary Sue, The Black Widow
Charlie the Unicorn: Jenniffer the Pegasus
Cowboy Bebop: Hazel Prince
Cyberpunk 2077: Himiko Otomo, Vidya "V" Zenith
Danganronpa: Sumire "Owlyn Srebrenka" Hino
Deadly Premonition: Absinthe Maidstone Stonewall MacShakeit, Abigail Maidstone
Death Note: Katherine "K" Kilgore, Melusine "Meruko" Badeaux, Sora Kurohoshi, Jezebel Blackheart, Mitsune Sakura
Devil May Cry: Beatrice Lacrimae, Lavinia Sparda-Amata
Devilman: Astraroth "Astra"
Digimon: Hana Otogi
Disastrous Life of Saiki K: Moemi Saiki
Dragon Age: Coriander Tabris, Craig Cousland, Dove Surana, Lieselotte Brosca, Princess Aeducan, Lovewave Lavellan
Dragon Ball: Remin, Unshiu
Earth Girls Are Easy: Andromevak "Andy"
Eltingville Club: Seraphim "Sera" Herrera
Fallout: None, Nothing
Fate: Cosette Everild-LaAnimus, Delphine Everlid-LaAnimus
Final Fantasy: Jehfa Fakthu
Fire Emblem: Briar, Delshad, Dreamer, Euphemia, Florian Gloucester, Historia, Marguerite Ciar, Primrose Gloucester, Solanine, Wander
Free!: Akira Hanamura
Friday the 13th: Lynn Curtis
Ghostbusters: Aisling Redhead (2016), Aisling Redhead (1986)
Goosebumps: Rosalind "RL" Greene
Gorillaz: Clotilda Culpepper
Grand Budapest Hotel: Cvetka Kovacs
Gundam: Atlus Darkwater, Nnyley Romantica
Halloween: Alice Linklater, Bijou Hart, Brianna Willow-Winters, Dolores Orth, Jason Lee Cranston, Lynn Curtis, Moon n Stars Morris
Harry Potter (All created when I was in middle and high school. This was before JK Rowling shat her diaper. I do not condone Joanne and her hateful bullshit and just wanted to share OCs I made as a kid.) : Akemi Akiyama, Cassandra Finnegan, Harmony Dumbledore, Jaycelynn "Jacky" Lavgine, Kendra Pepper
Independence Day: RL Stineler
Inuyasha: Aihime, Kiki (2004), Kiki Shiina, Usagi Hinode
Jennifer's Body: Christie Fatt Cox
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Fiori Stelline, Jonah Joestar-Angelakos, Kanon "Eileen Diamandis" Shiina, Otome Tanaka, Passion Angelakos, Sakuro Gackt-Myers, Stephanie McCormick
Jujutsu Kaisen: Chidori "Chitose" Iori
Jurassic Park: Anna Rose Morgan, Gillian Mayham, Jen Morris, Joy Tootoosis, JT Malcolm, Marina Malcolm, and Miharu Hamano
Kingdom Hearts: Kitana, Nerissa
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Dazzle Kovacs
The Lorax: Cipher, Avalon and Story
Mario: Princess Velvet
Marvel: Allie N Blumsford, Genesis, Jamie Johnson, Jocasta "Cipher" Macbeth, Makelsolakveder, Zelda Kirkness
Mass Effect: Adette Shepard
Metalocalypse: Maiko "Manko Kechaman" Roberts
Mortal Kombat: Amaya, Emberlynn Augus, Feather Dance, Stryker's Dad, Kandace Stryker, Laytanya Moore, Marina "Monsoon", Kirke
My Hero Academia: Rin Amamiya, Kirameki Sarashina, Youmu Yumemite
Naruto: Akiko Haruno, Asuka Hatake, Hoshiyo Kanmuri, Kazuma Hanamori, Subaru Kanmuri
The Office: Cam Keeper
One Punch Man: Sumika Nagisa
Ouran High School Host Club: Bunko Matsushima, Ryunosuke Kanagawa
The Outsiders: Josephine "Joey" Wiehler, Serenity "SW" Wiehler, Sincerity Travis
Passengers: Dr. Galaxy Pepper
Persona: Jun Adachi, Junya Daidara, Marina, Momoka Mishima, Minako Iori, Sayaka Sakamoto, Stephanie McCormick, Tomoko Nakajima, Hamuko Arisato, Minako Arisato, Rin Amamiya, Yuka Narukami
Pokemon: Amanda, Altreis, Catalina, Dolores "Lolita-chan", Emilia, Isobel "Izzy", Galan, Gabrielle, Gelato, Medee, Muffy, Paloma, Pycal, Tila, Twinkle, Wasabon
Power Rangers: Emi Johnson, Dawn "Milky" Garson, Jacintha Cranson-Park, Lady Johnson, Lady Johnson (2017), Octavia Clearwater, Serena Ryder, Tamsin "Tami" Oliver, Thomas "Tommy" Oliver, Wednesday Neckoway, Yumeko Takahara, Ashton Redhead, Derek Ng, Jaiden Lawliet, Lux Cranston, Morgan Valentine, Nicholas DuBois, Scout Park, Saintan
Rance: Aellae, Ashelotte, Desu, Cosmia
Resident Evil: Ianthe Hawke
Rise of the Guardians: Eros
Riverdale: Winona "Sodapop" Bighetty
Sonic: Blossom, Purple, Jeff, Mango, Mist
SPY x Family: Lyubov
Stardew Valley: Stella
Star Wars: Hiak Ray "Talarth"
Steven Universe: Imperial Topaz, Nokomis Queens
Stranger Things: Heather Ranger
Street Fighter: Neroli
Sugar Sugar Rune: Akiko Sakura, Cerise Incroyable, Sugar Graves
Tezuka: Daiya Mondo, Melody Serendipity
Tokyo Ghoul: Teruko Yumemiya
Touken Ranbu: Kanon Tachibana, Momoe Tachibana, Tokiko Minami
Transformers: Carly Rae Jepsentron
Twin Peaks: Eden Hill
Until Dawn: Moon n Stars Morris, Rosario Hicks
View Askewniverse: Artoo "Ari" Hicks, Alyce Linklater, Bijou "Rhapsody" Hart, Jaycelynne "Squall" Thiffault, Nova Phoenix
Voltron Legendary Defender: Forever, Harper Thiffault
XIN: Myth
YuGiOh: Aikako Hisahama, Airi Sarahi, Hitomi Nakajima, Hotaru Tenjouin, Jason Trudeau, Jaycelynn Trudeau, Kairi Sarahi, Masuyo Tachibana, Momoe Yukimura, Naomi Sarahi, Ringo Hinagiku, Raven Sarahi
YuGiOh GX: Ai Yuki, Aika Hana, Anais Kuroda, Anastasia Rosseau, Emi Jounouchi, Hitomi Nakajima (GX), Jaycelynn Rosseau, Kaori Tenjouin, Katsuro Jounouchi, Marina Mikan, Naomi, Soul Yagami, Yuudai Yuki, Kaori Torimaki, Koden Saotome, Moira Tenjouin
YuGiOh 5Ds: Barbie O'Neil
YuGiOh ARC V: Shinju Sawatari
Zack and Miri Make a Porno: Pepper Culpepper
Crossovers: Jaycelynn Yuki, Aqua Marine, Desu
In History, Maybe - A coming-of-age story starring Hazel Nylan and her on-again-off-again girlfriend, Stephanie McCormick just trying to make it in the third biggest “city” in Manitoba.
Hazel Nylan , Stephanie McCormick
Nobody of the Luck - A fantasy-isekai story about depressed popular boy getting sucked into a fantasy themed eroge called Nobody of the Luck and saving the world by accident.
Tristan Stark, Aellae, Freya
Fractured Faerie Tales - Tristan is sucked into yet another eroge, this time its fairy tale themed.
Tristan, Cendrillion
RandoRanger - A team of spandex technicolour clad heroes are here to defeat the hentai tentacle monsters!
Masuyo Kusanagi, Ryota Matsuda
Starry Starry Night - Akiko Valentina constantly wished that she’d take that advice to heart for once in her life. Growing up, it seemed like every wish she’d make would come true. Life should’ve been a breeze… and it was for a while. Her family had won the lottery a few years ago, along with her mother’s seaweed gin distillery taking off which brought the Valentina Family even more fortune. Classes would be cancelled, boys asked her to the dance, her favourite TV shows would suddenly be back even when they were cancelled whenever she seemed to will it. Though, like a bad 90s kids horror series, there was always a cruel twist at the end.
Now living alone in the penthouse apartment her now dead family’s fortune got her, Akiko spends her free time overindulging herself in luxury, to distract herself from the dark. Things had gotten stale after two years of spoiling herself rotten.
“I wish something would happen in my boring life.”
One night, she’s approached by a stranger on the way home from partying…
Amber “Akiko” Valentina, Akira Angelus, Blair Princeton, Charles Broadmoor, Cheyenne Princeton, Fafnir, Gaylene, Kirk Grimme, Nyarou, Thorn
Fairy Ring - A small town on the border of southern Manitoba that hides some magical secrets.
Antigone, “Kisecawchuck”, Dorothy, Carly, David Young, Abigail Maidstone
Roseburough - A city with a dark past–its first settlers were a group of cultist for a demon of lust–that has a proclivity for less than pure activities.
Amelie, Anita Wood, Aurora, Circe, Dani Michaels, Daniel Michaels, Eitaro Satou, Emiri Satou, Genesis “Genni” Jones, Joey Spence
Eidolons and Eudaemonia -Eudaimonia is a world where each country worships a particular element. Each country has a temple and a candle that must be lit at all times to prevent a calamity. Its said that the candles represent hope, the one thing that kept ‘humanity’ going after the first calamity. Every few centuries, new candles must be created and infused with magic and blessings from each country before being placed in the temples and lit. It’s a ritual that has been carried on long before the formation of the Church of the Star Bringer, which eventually took control of candle duties.
Team Disatisfaction: Anita, Arlis, Milk, Opal, Rubia, Vesta, The Artist
Lovewave
The Demon Lords: Lovena
Kuroi
Mizuka
Magical Flower Maidens: Anemone, Cassiane, Ione, Renthe, Sayuri, Zinnia
Tristan's Party: Tristan, Akihime, Plum and Peaches.
Story-less OCs:
Stephanie "Desu" McCormick, Stephen "Boku" McCormick, Aisling McCormick
Rhubarb
Mermaid Squad: Arctic, Sea Bunny, Goffik
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