The Importance of Research
Have you ever been reading a book, engrossed in an epic story, feeling like you're really there, when suddenly you read a line that reminds you that you are reading a book, and than the guy who wrote it has no idea what he's talking about? Not fun. Mine came while reading Eldest by Christopher Paolini. One of the elves is teaching Eragon how to paddle a canoe. He says that the canoe turns toward whichever side of it is paddled on.
Go out canoeing and try that. Or better yet, go whitewater canoeing and try that.
On second thought, no. Don't do it. Because you'll die.
Mistakes like these can easily be avoided with a little research on the author's part. There are many different ways to do it, some of which work better than others for different things.
1. Use the Internet.
This is the bare minimum of what everyone should use. Other methods can be difficult or expensive, but a google search is free and easy. However, on the Internet, people can publish whatever they want, so be careful. Trustworthy sites include:
- University websites will often publish papers about certain topics. Very good resources.
- Government websites, like that of the US Forest Service or US Geological Survey.
- Websites of trustworthy and topic-related organizations, like World Wildlife Fund (for animals), American Medical Association (for diseases), or National Geographic (for just about everything).
Now, regarding the black sheep of the research family: Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. How could that possibly be a good source?
Wikipedia does have safety features built in. When you make an edit, you have to provide sources for new information. If you do not, your change is subject to deletion. However, it is always a good idea to check the source of anything that appears on Wikipedia. If there is no source, and you can't find that information anywhere else, then it is probably false. Wikipedia is meant to be a easy and quick way to find information. Instead of finding all of the sources separately, Wikipedia gives you all of them in one easy place.
Also, the fact that anyone can edit Wikipedia doesn't mean that there are people vandalizing every article they can think of (and when people do, it's usually obvious). Edit wars tend to break out over articles on things that cause controversy, like abortion, same-sex marriage, environmentalism, veganism, or the 9/11 conspiracy theories. If you're looking up stuff like that, stay away from Wikipedia. If you're looking up plants and animals, historical battles, ancient cultures, diseases, laws, weapons, mythology, elements, or anything else along those lines, you should be fine.
2. Read a book or watch TV.
Nonfiction books (and some fiction books too) are excellent ways to learn, as are educational TV channels, like PBS, BBC, or National Geographic, and documentaries. If you get a chance to read or watch them, do it!
3. Talk to people.
Whether you're asking your grandfather what World War Two was like, asking your local sheriff what he'd do if people started reporting dragon sightings, or talking to your science teacher about snake behavior, the knowledge of others is a wonderful resource for you. Tour guides at zoos, museums, and national/state parks should also be able to answer questions that you have (it's their job).
4. Do it yourself.
When it comes to finding out what a certain experience is like, there is nothing better than doing it yourself. When doing it yourself, you may learn details that others may consider insignificant and not include when they write an article, write a book, or talk to you. For example, I was doing research on survival blankets (the silver foil blankets that reflect body heat), so I took one winter camping with me and covered the head of my sleeping bag with one. I learned things that I never could have gleaned from reading the Wikipedia article. However, with some things, doing it yourself can easily be too expensive, too inconvenient, too dangerous, or illegal.
Also, try not to let your writing convey a "look mommy, I researched this" vibe. You may have learned many interesting things while researching volcanoes and be itching to explain them in more detail. But I can assure, most of your readers won't care.