Writing and Storytelling | 22 December 2023

How To Conduct Research For Your Book: 10 Tips That Work

Michael Adams

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Research is the backbone of a well-written book. It brings depth, credibility, and authenticity to your narrative. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, thorough research is essential to creating a compelling and believable story. While imagination is important to writing, the best stories are ones rooted in reality and real-world conditions to some degree. A bestseller demands a good understanding of the topics, themes, and settings of your story.

Works of bestselling writers like Dan Brown, Stephen King, and Malcolm Gladwell are examples of exceptionally written and well-researched content. In this guide, we will explore 10 tips to help you conduct research for your book. To learn the most effective way to research for your next book, keep reading!

Start with Book Positioning and Outline

Proper book positioning and outlining are important to the writing process and can help in research. These tools not only help writers structure their work but also guide them in the collection and organization of information. When writing a book, ask yourself what is the main theme or message you want to convey.

By understanding the purpose of your book you can narrow down your research focus. Furthermore, it is important to identify your target audience and understand their expectations. This is called book positioning. It is essentially understanding your message and the audience it is directed towards.

Book positioning can help you decide the level of detail and complexity of your research. For instance, a historical novel will require more in-depth research than a contemporary romance. Another important tool for book research is a book outline.

An outline provides a detailed breakdown of your book’s content, allowing you to set specific research goals for each section. It helps you prioritize the information needed to support your storyline, characters, or arguments.

An outline can help maintain a consistent tone throughout your book. By organizing the flow of information and dialogue, you can ensure that your research is coherent with the narrative or progression of the book.

To learn more about creating an outline for your book, read our article on outlining a non-fiction book.

Define Your Research Goals and Scope

Research is time-consuming and can be overwhelming if you don’t plan it out. Before diving into the sea of information available, clearly define your research goals. Understand what specific information you need to gather and how it will contribute to your book.

Establishing clear objectives that will help you stay focused and prevent information overload. For example, if you are writing a book on sustainable living, your research goals include understanding the current environmental crises, learning about everyday eco-friendly practices, addressing challenges and barriers to sustainability, and the importance of sustainability in cultures worldwide.

Whether you’re researching historical events, cultural nuances, or scientific concepts, having a well-defined goal is the first step toward effective research. Otherwise, you will just feel lost.

Use Multiple Research Sources

Diversify your sources to ensure a detailed and accurate representation of your book theme. Relying solely on one type of source, such as books or online articles, may limit your perspective. Getting insights, information, and opinions from several sources will help your understanding of the book matter and help you in presenting a detailed outlook with your book.

Consider using a combination of primary and secondary sources. This should include interviews with subject-matter experts, documentaries, academic papers, and reputable websites. This multi-disciplinary approach will help your understanding and provide a more comprehensive foundation for your writing.

Visit Local Archives and Libraries

Libraries and archives are treasure troves of information, especially when it comes to researching historical or localized topics. There is no better place to learn about the local art, cultural nuances, and history than the local library.

Make a trip to your local library or historical archive to access rare books, documents, and primary sources that may not be available online. You can get help from librarians and archivists as they can guide you to specific resources so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the extensive collection.

Interview Experts and Witnesses

Offering an expert perspective in your book is an excellent way of building the reader’s trust and gaining credibility. Interviewing experts, professionals, or individuals a personalized and invaluable first-hand perspective of the book’s theme that the readers will relate especially in non-fiction books. By conducting interviews you can provide unique insights, anecdotes, and details that may not be found in other written sources. This will help your book stand out from others in the genre.

If you’re writing fiction you can reach out to people who have lived through the events you’re exploring or academics who have expertise on the time era in which your book is based. Their expertise can add authenticity and depth to your story.

Mine Bibliographies to Find Relevant Sources

Mining bibliographies is a valuable strategy in the research process, especially when searching for relevant sources. A bibliography is a list of sources cited in a particular work, and it can be a goldmine of information for writers. Here are some ways mining bibliographies can help your book research:

• Discovering Related Works: When you find a source that is relevant to your book research, browsing its bibliography can help discover related works. Authors often cite sources that influenced or inspired their work, leading to a network of interconnected research materials that deepen your understanding of the topic.
• Uncovering Key Texts and Experts: Bibliographies often include source material and contributions by experts in the field. By browsing these lists, you can find key texts and influential figures that can be the basis for your research. It allows you to learn more about the pioneering and most authoritative voices on the subject and build a well-informed opinion.
• Exploring Different Perspectives: Sifting through bibliographies can expose you to various perspectives on your topic. By exploring the sources cited by different authors, you gain a more broad view of the subject. This diversity enhances the depth of your research, allowing you to present a well-rounded narrative in your book.
• Validating Information: Bibliographies can also help validate the information you come across in your research. If multiple reputable sources cite the same reference, it means the source is highly credible. This process helps you sort through a large number of resources and focus on those that have been approved and endorsed by other writers or academics.
• Identifying Primary Sources: Authors often cite primary sources in their bibliographies. Primary sources are firsthand accounts or original materials relevant to your research, such as letters, diaries, or historical documents. Mining bibliographies can lead you directly to these valuable primary sources.

Fact-Check Your Information:

Fact-checking is an integral part of the research process, and it involves verifying the reliability of your sources and cross-referencing information from multiple outlets. Ensure that the data you include in your book is up-to-date and supported by reputable sources. Accuracy is a crucial part of writing. Whether you’re you are writing fiction or nonfiction, you would want to get the facts right or your book may appear ill-researched.

Take Effective Notes

Simply gathering information is not enough. You need to take notes and add context to that information so you can incorporate it into your book when you start writing. As you find relevant information, take notes summarizing the key points and record the source of the information.

You can use digital tools like apps and traditional methods like sticky notes to take notes and annotate sources. Evernote and Scrivener are great content organization apps you can use for taking effective notes. Read our blog on the best content writing and organization software to learn more about these tools.

Organize Your Research

When you’re working on your book, keeping your research organized is important. It helps you find information quickly and makes sure you don’t forget important details. Imagine having all your notes neatly sorted, like putting puzzle pieces in the right places. This makes writing easier and ensures your story or information is consistent.

Use digital tools like note-taking apps, cloud storage, and reference management software to organize and access your research from anywhere. Apps like Evernote, OneNote, or Google Drive can be incredibly useful. If you are using physical notes or printed materials, consider using color-coded tabs or sticky notes to categorize information. This visual aid can be a quick reference during the writing phase.

Set a Deadline

While thorough research is crucial, knowing when to stop and start writing is equally important. Research without a deadline can become a procrastination trap, which delays the actual creation of your book. Deadlines create a sense of urgency and ensure steady progress. Set realistic deadlines for your research phase, and once those are reached, move to the writing phase. You can always return to research during the editing phase to fill in any gaps or refine details.

In Conclusion

Researching for your book is an exciting and valuable process. Set clear goals, use multiple sources, and stay organized as you gather information for your book. These ten tips can help make your book research process highly efficient and help you write a standout book with depth and authenticity.