How do you use research in writing?

Answer 'For Who?', before you start researching. If you can become the customer or behave like your target audience, you would easily find the answers you're looking for.

A writer's first step is to do research. Follow these simple points while researching. -> Find your WHY and select the main keywords -> Use these keywords to locate resources -> For academic and research reports, search journal papers, reports, and white papers. Like I mostly use Google Scholar -> Search articles and blogs published on authentic platforms -> Check rankings of journals, websites, or any chosen platform -> Give references to the selected resources Finally, once you have thoroughly researched all the relevant information, you must organize your documents in a point-wise manner. This approach will allow for clear and concise communication, without altering the intended meaning of your content.

Well, back in the good old days of my public schooling, I'd head down to the county library, and ask some questions of a real human being- a helpful research librarian I used to know- and he'd point me in the right direction for me to dive into there. For example, as a 7th grader in Appalachian Kentucky, that's how I came across black holes, and they blew my mind from day one of my awareness of them. They still do. Now, there's this amazing thing called the internet, and I really like it. It's full of true information, fake news, and much more. So, you must carefully comb through it as you research, find sources you trust, properly link to them in your writings, and hopefully provide some unique and helpful connections to such.

Research is a huge part of my health and wellness writing because the field constantly fluctuates. I think of Dr. Suess's book, "Oh the Places You'll Go!" One professor taught me that a resource list is the backbone of a text. Complete the source list first. Structure the outline and place key points from your research under each heading. Strengthening the core of a text allows ideas and creativity to flow.

Being able to synthesize and analyze various bits of information is crucial. In my most recent corporate gigs, I worked very closely on new business proposals and being able to boil down 3 or 4 interesting data points across a couple articles into one pithy phrase that goes on the slide is powerful. What I also share with others is that, if done right, the other bits if your research can then easily be translated into VO. I always love seeing a client's face when I verbalize a stat that's relevant but would otherwise bog down a presentation.

I used to do the synthesis portion with 3x5 notecards — writing down facts, figures, opinions and hot quotes. Then I'd splay out those notecards on a big flat surface and group them to find those gaps and contradictions. Now we have tools like Notion, Scrivener, or really anything that does Kanban-style sorted notecards. But the act of writing it down — either quoting verbatim or paraphrasing — is the part you can't skip over. That's what gets it into your head and lets you mull over things more effectively.

Escribir, escribir, escribir. Dejar reposar lo trabajado, y luego regresar al texto. Corregir, corregir y corregir. Los mejores textos no se escriben a la primera.

I couldn't agree more David. What you said (google translate: "Write, write, write. Let the work rest, and then return to the text. Correct, correct and correct. The best texts are not written the first time.") resonates with me.

There are two techniques I use for revising my work: change its font and read it aloud. Changing the font of the content makes it seem like the writing was done by someone else. So I can look at the piece more objectively than I would otherwise. Try a drastically different font: sans-serif to serif, Times to Comic, etc. Reading the piece aloud helps me find odd, clunky, and confusing sentences. It also helps me simplify my writing. I tend to use a lot of compound and complex sentences, which can be hard to follow. When all else fails, share it with someone else. The other person can point out where the piece needs (re)work. Another set of eyes is always welcomed.

Look for repeating sentences. One of the most common issues I find when editing my own or others' work is duplicate ideas, often back-to-back and disguised as different sentences. Consider each of your sentences as stand-alone elements, and you may find areas where excess bulk can be pared down without compromising your idea.

While editing tools like Grammarly are great, it’s still important you take the time to proofread your work. When doing so, I typically try to build in 4 review checkpoints before I land on a final version of my content. 1) Review your work top-to-bottom, silently. 2) Read your work top-to-bottom, aloud. 3) Read your work bottom-to-top, silently. 4) Take a break (sleep on it for a night or so). Review it top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top with fresh eyes. Keep practicing your proofreading skills and you’ll become more confident over time.

Absolutely! Proof reading and editing is essential for good writing. Personally, I find Grammarly quite useful. However, it would be unwise to rely solely on such virtual editing aids. One needs to go over one’s work as many times as you can. There were times I didn’t notice spelling errors and omissions until I had published my work. Hence the need to pay attention to details. Thankfully, the more often you edit your work, the sharper your eyes for details.

All the steps listed, to me, seem like a no-brainer. Of course, you cite your sources! :) But it's also important to note that some of these steps happen at the same time or they may repeat during the entire writing process. These may be steps in a process, but you're consistently revisiting them.

If you're able to allow a second set of eyes to read your work, that'd be a huge plus. If you have a writing buddy this person can only help to improve your work – though your should never share your first draft. That text still needs a bit of work before sharing with others.