The advice often given to writers is, “Write what you know.” In business writing, “what you know” may be in the form of personal experience, observation, or good, solid research. To perform the most effective research for business writing, your goal should be to learn enough to feel comfortable explaining the topic to someone else…which is exactly what you’ll be doing by writing about it. Start with these tips to make the most of your research:
Identify One Point of Contact
Whether the organization you’re writing about is your own or another, try to identify one person who can help you get the information you need. When researching a product, service, company, or organization, it is simplest if you have a single point of contact who knows where to go for the data you need.
Make the Most of Interviews
When conducting interviews, do some up-front research and list questions in advance. Don’t waste an interviewee’s time by failing to prepare. Try to understand the topic at hand as thoroughly as possible before the interview; then have that person “fill in the blanks.”
Remember Resources
Keep a list of all your resources in case you need to refer to them later. Bookmark all the websites you visit, and keep contact information for subject matter experts.
How Much Is Too Much?
When collecting information, too much is better than not enough. Once you start the drafting process, you don’t want to be scrambling for information. Having all the information handy makes for smoother progress. However, don’t make the mistake of continuing to research when you really should be drafting. If you start finding the same information you’ve already come across, you probably have enough facts to start writing.
Don’t Ask, Won’t Know
It’s hard to write about something you don’t understand. Be sure to ask for clarification when you need it. Then you will truly be able to “write what you know”!
Please share some of your own strategies for effective research in the comments.
About the Author: Karen Marcus, M.A. is a Northern Colorado copywriter who has been helping clients in a wide range of industries to put their best word forward for 13 years.
Need help conducting effective research for business writing? Karen can help! Click here for contact info.
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