My Sanity-Saving Research Tip for Writers

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

Posted 12.10.24

Research: if you’re a writer, you do it. But sooner or later you’ve got to stop researching … and start writing.

Therein lies the rub for writers.

Research is the process of collecting the information you need so you can write a particular piece. You research to understand the topic you’re writing about, whether it’s for a blog post or a series of emails or a scholarly article or a book.

But how do you know it’s time to stop gathering info — so you don’t drown in data — and start writing?

The first challenge you face with research

When you start a new writing project, you face a conundrum: you want your content to be accurate.

So you jump into research mode and accumulate strong background material … a healthy dose of reliable statistics … authentic details. Then you dutifully uncover hints of what readers want to read on the subject and insight into what your competitors are offering. And you wrap up your notes in a tidy SEO research bow that lists keywords for that particular piece of content.

All that digging leads you into the inevitable Information Hole Abyss and its 37 rabbit trails. Hours (or days) later, you come up for breath.

You want to be thorough, right? But wait! You’re working on an outline for a 700-word article — not the modern equivalent of War and Peace. And now, you’ve got way too much information.

The second challenge you face with research

But you can’t chuck research altogether. Otherwise, your content lacks authority.

So you grab one or two quick sources from a hasty Google query to support your points. Or you go for the instant fill-in-the-blanks solution prescribed by ChatGPT. After all, it’s an orderly way to gather information.

Which raises the second challenge of research for writers: it’s easy for information gathering to become a slap-dash, hit-or-miss affair.

Writers share their top research tip

Ask any content creator and he’ll tell you his top research tip. Among them are …

• Start early
• Use the library
• Read multiple sources
• Take detailed notes
• Evaluate sources to ensure they’re credible and reliable
• Cite sources accurately
• Gather different perspectives
• Choose a way to organize your information

Those are all helpful pieces of advice. But none address the overwhelm that accompanies the sheer volume of information that’s available to you.

I’m a practical girl. I like to find practical solutions to my writing problems and share them with other writers.

When balancing accuracy and authenticity became a challenge for me, I found a way to gather all that yummy information without being snowed under … and yet write with depth and authenticity to defy the AI-powered assistants.

My favorite research tip for writers

My favorite research tip for writers is simple.

Clearly define a narrow topic before starting your research. Then, gather two times as much information as you think you’ll need to write your piece of content. (Just two times as much … not barely what you need or 7 times as much as you need).

This tip gives you limits — and wings.

Limits

When you define your research question ahead of time, you place yourself beyond the gaining-background-information stage. You’re ready for specifics.

Take this article, for example. I decided on a “top sanity-saving research tip for writers.” It’s a narrow topic. It’s not about “research tips” in general– a topic that’s too broad, because it includes top research tips from scientists and financial gurus and tech geeks. (All way out of my league.)

Further, I didn’t seek out general research information that writers need to know: a summary of research methods … how to take notes … where to find different kinds of information. Instead, I’ve got one angle on my topic: sanity-saving research tips for writers.

And since I’m writing an article, I don’t need 62 sources. I gathered about 2–3 pages of information … about twice what I need. For me, a good rule of thumb is 1–2 pages of research for every 500 words I plan to write. The leftovers are sitting in a file with some keywords notated at the top.

Limits prevent me from following too many detours as I gather information for a writing project.

Wings

A clearly defined topic not only helps me set boundaries but gives me freedom, too. I can read widely on others’ viewpoints because the subject is narrower.

Again, take this article. I studied what other writers had to say about research tips for writers. You read some of their comments above.

I found I agreed with their ideas … to a point. “Start early” to give myself time to gather enough information? Yes, duh. “Read multiple sources”? Of course.

But for me, none were the linchpin of what I’d learned from my own writing experience. So I processed what others had to say together with my years as a writer — and solidified my point of view: my best research springs from a clearly defined topic.

Quality content doesn’t simply regurgitate others’ views on a subject. You’ve got AI for that. Research gives me wings because it helps me hone my ideas.

Gather twice what you need

If you’ve got a writing project, don’t jump into research right away.

Instead, clarify your subject first. Then dig in … and collect twice as much information as you think you’ll need.

Your research will help you drill down to one key idea. Then, draw upon your pile of information to help make your point.

And all that extra research that doesn’t fit into the mix?

Put it in a file, label it, and save it. You’ll use it another time … for another well-defined piece of content. And you’ll save your sanity in the process.

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