The Truth Doesn't Come from the Internet – A Guide to Your Research Before Writing
Research is a crucial part of a web writer’s job. While the time required varies depending on the topic and the writer’s area of expertise, it’s a step that can’t be skipped. Whether it’s verifying information, adding that key piece of data that makes all the difference, or finding a way to add value to the content… Research is an integral part of the writing process. However, it comes with its own pitfalls, and that’s when you realize that conducting research is a true skill in itself.
Identification of Sources
The best sources in a given field aren’t necessarily the most obvious ones. They aren’t necessarily the most popular, and certainly not the most widely shared. In some fields, it’s important to first seek out relevant sources before looking for the right information. Indeed, when the same data has been rehashed for several years, it’s not uncommon for it to become distorted. Taken out of context, people may even say things that are inaccurate, and that’s what we want to avoid at all costs. This is especially true when the industry you work in is highly competitive, since there are so many online publications and they all tend to be quite similar in substance. But it’s also true for fields where competition is low. Online sources are often rather vague, and it’s not always clear where the information comes from.
Each sector has its own sources. Identify the names of experts in the field so you can browse their publications!
In this regard, the YourText.Guru tool allows you to identify named entities related to a search engine query. You can then see the proper nouns associated with your topic.
Best practice isto identify sources validated by professionals in the industry in which you work. While working on a project related to golf travel, we didn’t hesitate to consult the materials provided directly by the French Golf Federation. Similarly, our work in the LegalTech sector often leads us to consult articles in specialized journals, such as those published by Dalloz. To save time, have your client validate your sources!
"Ask Google"
Here’s a phrase we often use when someone asks us a question that annoys us, because it shows they didn’t bother to look it up first. Recently, two talks by Olivier Andrieu on voice search (Seo Camp’us Metz and Yoodx 2018) made me realize that many users tend to treat Google as the ultimate source of truth. By constantly searching for information on Google—just as we would in a dictionary or encyclopedia—we end up believing that Google tells the truth. Services like the Knowledge Graph and Position 0, which highlight definitions, only reinforce this feeling. Yet Google’s search results are simply a compilation of what other people have said on the web. Who can we trust?
Go to the library!
For just a few euros a year, an annual library membership is undoubtedly one of the best investments a web editor can make. By visiting the section related to your industry, you’ll get an instant overview of the available sources and the topics covered. It’s a ready-made categorization system that you can simply draw from. Of course, books don’t always tell the truth either—it depends on who wrote them—but it’s often easier to identify the more reliable ones.
In addition, with library access, you often have access to resources that would normally require a fee, but which the library has already paid for on your behalf. I’m referring in particular to subscriptions to scientific and specialized journals, which provide information with significant added value that will make a real difference in your publications.
To save time, you can browse your library’s catalogs online to see if there are any books that might interest you. Nationwide, I recommend using the Sudoc platform, as well as Google Scholar and Google Books. You can also search on Amazon! Surprisingly, it’s a tool I use regularly to get an overview of available resources.
