Home > Blog > Blog > How Freelance Article Writers Can Find Facts Fast – And Make Sure They’re True

How Freelance Article Writers Can Find Facts Fast – And Make Sure They’re True

Editor

These research tips will help you find quality data for your article.The strongest magazine articles usually include data from a reliable source to back up the points you’re making. Without solid information, your article doesn’t come off as credible.

But with all the information bouncing around on the Internet, it can be difficult for freelance article writers to know where to find facts from reliable sources. The key to avoiding timewasting browsing is to know what you’re looking for, and what sorts of sources you can trust.

Here are research tips for four major resources that provide the solid facts and figures you need to create great articles:

1. Governments

Federal governments often have a wealth of data online. For U.S. healthcare data, for example, government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health offer tons of verified survey data based on large study samples. Study size is one of the important factors that lend a survey credibility.

The sheer volume of facts and figures compiled by the government can be overwhelming, though. For a shortcut to the info you need, check out USA.gov to search for information by topic and/or government agency. Or try Data.gov to search on topics from agriculture to public safety.

There’s also Government Information Online (GIO). GIO lets you email a librarian questions about information collected by government agencies at all levels. Nice! GIO is a free resource – but librarians may take up to 48 hours to respond.

If you need information specific to a particular region or market, take a look at state, county, province, or city government data sources. Find and browse the directory of state or local agencies to get started. If need be, reach out to the media contact at the agency that best fits the bill, and let them know what you’re looking for – they can help direct you.

2. Major national organizations

Whatever the topic you’re writing about, chances are there’s a large, longstanding national organization or publication devoted to it. There are three reliable types of sources here:

  • Nonprofit groups like the American Cancer Society, or the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which studies entrepreneurship
  • Industry associations such as the American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants
  • Special interest organizations like the National Quilting Association

Check out the organization’s press releases to see what’s new. Some groups also post general information or fast facts about their industry or cause that may be helpful. If you don’t see what you need on the website, most larger organizations have a public relations or communications person to contact.

3. Look to the trades

Trade publications that cover a specific industry or interest, such as Nation’s Restaurant News, are a great place to research and discover who issues industry surveys that are considered reliable. Sometimes, the trade pubs themselves conduct industry research or issue rankings of top companies – and they’re a good, impartial information source.

4. Name-brand studies and surveys

Citing a study or survey’s findings is a great way to support your point of view. Well-known research organizations include the Pew Research Center, which focuses on areas including politics, social trends, religion, and technology, and Gallup, a public opinion research firm.

Many industries will have specialized market-research firms that concentrate on their sector and can be highly useful for finding detailed information. Examples include Technomic, which conducts restaurant-industry surveys, and FranData, which compiles data on franchising. Be wary of small or startup organizations claiming to be authoritative survey sources.

Trace it to the source

If you see a study cited in another article, be sure to locate your own copy of the original study, poll or survey. Magazines and websites don’t like it when you cite a secondary source that may well be one of their competitors, instead of finding the original data.

  • Bad: “MSNBC reports that a Scripps Institute study found…”
  • Good: “A study of 2,000 cancer patients conducted by the Scripps Institute found…”

By finding the original research, you won’t rely on another writer’s work – and you may spot additional information you can use.

You may also find out that study has been updated since the piece you read, or superseded by a more recent one. You could also discover that the site or magazine where you originally found this fact has misquoted the original study! Recheck the figures to make sure you don’t repeat any errors.

Sources to watch out for

A word about that popular online encyclopedia written by volunteers: Wikipedia should never be used as a source, because it’s compiled by anonymous writers whose work may be inaccurate, plagiarized, or altered by other users.

That said, Wikipedia’s entries can provide a general understanding of the topic. More authoritative sources can often be mined from the footnotes and external links used to assemble a Wikipedia page.

Finally, be on the lookout for self-interested, small studies conducted by companies. These are increasingly popular, thinly disguised promotions you should avoid. A chocolate company’s survey of 100 customers that concludes eating chocolate more often makes you feel happier doesn’t impress anyone. Don’t build your story around studies like these.

Samantha Drake is a freelance writer in the Philadelphia area who specializes in entrepreneurship and general interest topics.

J-School: 4-Week Journalism Crash Course. Grow your freelance writing income. Usefulwritingcourses.com

What is Copywriting? A Modern Definition and How-To Guide

What is Copywriting? A Modern Definition and How-To Guide

What Is Copywriting? The How-To Guide for Freelancers. Makealivingwriting.com

It’s a question so simple, you might think everyone already knows the answer: What is copywriting?

But in my decade-plus helping newbie writers launch their freelance careers, I’ve learned not to assume. People come from all walks of life into freelance writing, and aren’t born knowing the lingo.

When I researched this question, it got even more interesting. Because I disagreed with many of the most popular posts on the topic.

What I have for you isn’t your grandpa’s copywriting definition and description. It’s a rebel’s 21st Century copywriting definition — and a how-to guide on how to break in and do it.

How copywriting evolved

Old copy hacks will tell you copywriting is the art and science of crafting writing that sells.

They’ll tell you writing that overtly sells a product or service is copywriting — and everything else is ‘not copywriting.’

That was once true — but it isn’t any more. Because the Internet changed much of what we once knew about marketing.

I’ve got a new definition of copywriting for you, one I think is more accurate for the 21st Century marketing era we live in now.

Read on to learn what copywriting is today, how to do it — and how you can capitalize on the changes to earn well as a freelance writer.

List Of Free Blogging Platforms (2023 Options)

Starting a blog doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. If you're interested in checking out a list of free blogging platforms, you have come to the right place. As of the time of writing the article, there are still a few great options! Free blogging sties won't suit...

9 Ways to Monetize a Blog + 3 Methods to AVOID

Some would say that blogging is dead. But with all the ways to monetize a blog in this day and age, that's just not true. Blogging is still just as relevant as it was before, and this idea that it's "over" only comes from the fact that other mediums of making money...