Magazine Writing
Lesson 3: How to Research your Article and Write an Outline
Researching Your Article
When you are about to research your article it can be difficult to know where to start. One way is to imagine that you are a reader of the magazine and ask yourself what you would want to know? What facts and anecdotes should the article contain to give it more life? How can you make the subject more exciting?
There are many different research ‘tools’ that a writer can use. These include the Internet, encyclopedias, reference and introductory books, magazines and newspapers and interviews. It is easiest to start with the general and then move to the specific.
If I were writing an article on the many different types of shells, for example, (a subject that I know little about) I would start by looking up shells in one or two encyclopedias. I would also look at reference and introductory books and perhaps some articles and interview an expert or two.
Researching on the Internet saves the time and cost of travelling to the library and it is usually interesting and fun to use. The big Internet portals, such as Suite 101.com itself, and About.com have sites on many subjects with lots of articles and links on each, so they are good places to start. Looksmart, Yahoo, and Google have directories of links on many subjects. They are also excellent search engines.
Some search tips:
There are usually several sites on any subject that you may wish to research. Special sites for journalists such as the ones under my Research links provide masses of links to newspapers, magazines and organizations that may be useful. The large news services, such as the BBC and CNN, all have their own web sites. Most of the articles of newspapers, such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, can still be read free of cost. However, check facts obtained from unknown sites on the Internet carefully. Sometimes they can be inaccurate.
There are also sites, such as Profnet.com, where you can find experts on almost any subject, to interview. News and mailing lists can also provide you with extra information.
It is a good idea too to use your local library. There is always a reference section and taking out books saves you the cost of buying them. Librarians can help if you are having trouble finding extra information.
Free brochures and advertisements are often good sources of information. If you are writing a travel article, for example, there are usually masses of free brochures and leaflets on tourist subjects.
Government departments, organizations and companies usually have their own web sites. However, if they don’t, the telephone book is another source of information.
It is a good idea to keep files of notes on the subject of your article, and organise them carefully. Write down your sources of information, and quote your interview subjects exactly. A tape recorder is handy here, although it is helpful to have a notebook as well, in case anything goes wrong.
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