Research for Nonfiction (and fiction)
The how, when, and where of conducting research
Back in September I wrote a paid post about writing nonfiction and covered some of the basics of research. This week I thought I’d delve into more about the subject of research including some places you can find ideas for nonfiction (and fiction) projects.
Research isn’t just for nonfiction
Every book project you embark on probably needs some kind of research. Maybe you’re writing historical fiction (even books set in the 1990s are considered historical, wow I feel old) and you need to look up what people were wearing, listening to, watching, and reading. Sometimes you might need to find out how people spoke in the time period you’re writing about. Or even when writing a contemporary book you may need to find out more about a particular event or geographical area or a pop culture moment that’s important to your story. So even if you never intend to write a word of nonfiction, read on for some tips to help bring your stories to life with research.
Ideas
Yes, ideas are everywhere but sometimes it takes a little more effort to find them! Here are five places you can look for the next shiny and exciting idea for your book.
Curriculum standards - what do kids in your target audience age learn about at school? If educators can use your book in the classroom it gives you another hook for your pitch and your eventual marketing.
Museum newsletters - subscribe to newsletters from museums like the Smithsonian.
Newspapers - read local and national newspapers, and save any stories that make you curious to learn more.
Google alerts - What are you interested in? Set up google alerts for those subjects and see if anything new has been reported that may inspire a book.
Anniversaries - what anniversaries are coming up in a few years? For example, to target a book release in 2027 so you could look for an event in 1927 or 1977 and celebrate (or commemorate) the 100- or 50-year anniversary.
Tracking your sources
The most important part of research is keeping track of your sources. You need them for your bibliography to send to your editor and for fact-checking. There is nothing worse than trawling through months of research to find the source for a fact you wrote down on a scrap of paper two years ago.
For longer projects I footnote my manuscript so I can track down facts easily. I submit a non-footnoted version to my editor but have the footnoted version available if needed.
Here are some of the services I’ve used to keep track of my sources and there are many others but whatever you use, be consistent and note every single item.
App/website options
Evernote (although there was recently a big price rise and I canceled my paid subscription)
Citation format
Sources can be cited in many different formats such as APA, MLA, and Chicago. Unless you’ve been told a specific format you can decide which to use. But just like with keeping track of your sources, stay consistent. I tend to use MLA 8th edition as that was the first option on Google docs!
Finding Sources
Definition of primary and secondary sources: Primary sources are firsthand accounts such as newspaper reports, letters, diary entries, autobiographies. Secondary sources are items like journal articles about an event or person, biographies, and opinion pieces.
Archives
You can look for items such as letters, journals and photographs in online archives like the National Archives and NYPL. If your subject has their own museum, for example Emily Dickinson, you can contact them directly or (if time and budget allows) visit them in person. Look at individual state archives too such as California’s.
Journals, Newspapers and Magazines
Many of these are searchable online, and often free if you use your library websites. For example, the New York Times archive or Scientific American magazine are available via my library along with many other sources including local newspapers. There are also paid newspaper archives including newspapers.com.
Books
Use your local library to find books on your subject. Check Worldcat for books and see if your library uses interlibrary loan so you can request books from other libraries around the country. If there’s a book you find yourself using a lot you might consider purchasing your own copy. Remember to consider the author and their sources - is it an autobiography, is it an account of an event written by someone who wasn’t there, is it reliable?
When writing EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST I purchased copies of her autobiographies as I referred back to them constantly.
Oral Histories
I love being able to hear my subject speak in their own voice and words so I always try to find oral histories when I can. Google your subject + oral history and see what you can discover.
Experts
Look for experts in the field you’re researching and contact them for an interview. You can find experts by looking at the authors of research papers about your subject or people interviewed in newspaper articles. Be sure you’ve carried out as much research as you can on your own first so you’re not asking them easily-verified information. You could also ask them to review your finished manuscript.
Websites
Look for trustworthy sources. If you’re seeing the same information regurgitated on multiple websites check to see if there’s an author listed and if they cite any sources or interviews. Tread carefully! By the way, I often look at Wikipedia but only to get the article sources, I never cite or rely on the Wikipedia entry itself! Also, set up google alerts for your subject so you get notified about any new research or news stories.
Videos and podcasts
Much like with oral interviews I really like finding videos about my subject, especially if they include footage of the place, event, or person I’m writing about as you get so many rich details from them.
Podcasts can also be useful but just like with any of the sources mentioned in this article, check they’re trustworthy and have cited sources. I like Stuff You Missed in History Class.
Research Trips
I’ve never taken a research trip (yet!) but if you get to go on one, take copious photographs, careful notes, and document where you saw/heard/found everything. Especially if this is a one-time trip, don’t self-edit, just document everything. Arrange to visit archives and make appointments to talk to experts in advance if you need to.
Multiple sources
Check all of your facts across multiple sources. Don’t rely on one source for a vital fact in your story, especially if you see it disputed by another source. This brings me to the next subject…
Bias
Many sources that you come across will contain a degree of bias. Think about two kids having an argument - they’ll probably give you different accounts based on their own grievances, past experiences, and perception of the event.
If you’re reading a website, book, or article consider: who the author is? do they provide different points of view? what is their own background? For historical items you can think about the same questions. A lot of history was written and recorded by white men and other voices weren’t included in the records. What has been left out of the story?
Additionally, personal accounts like diaries, letters, and autobiographies will contain inherent biases depending on the writer’s own point of view and experiences.
All of these sources can still be valuable but remember to account for bias and seek out alternative sources to verify and clarify information for your own stories.
And Then…
Simply write the book! Ha! I previously wrote more about that process but if you have any specific questions or areas you’d like me to cover in the future, leave a comment or email kidlitsurvivalguide [at] gmail [dot] com.
Learn More
Kirsten Larson has oodles of craft tips, a course, and books available on her website
The Highlights Foundation often has nonfiction courses so keep an eye on their calendar
The Writing Barn also has nonfiction classes
Also look out for events on the SCBWI regional webinar page
Information on primary and secondary sources from UC Berkeley (aimed at students but still very helpful)
Organizing Research - I’m intrigued about the idea of creating a book bible
This is so helpful, saving it as a resource!
This is so helpful, thank you! A few questions- if I’m unagented and I’m querying a nonfiction (or informational fiction) book, would an agent expect to see a bibliography? Also, if I was considering using an expert to interview or review the manuscript, would that happen before the query stage? And are experts typically paid? Thank you!! :)