by The Idea Girl

Created on: July 21, 2009

As a writer it is important that you learn some tips on how to do fast and efficient article research. The first thing you want is to compile a list in a notebook of the key words that you need to research for your article. Then by using Google Search you look up the meanings of those words and grasp the concepts and ideas that are presented.

Next you will jot down these notes in your notebook or on your Word Processor. There is a technique called mind mapping where you draw diagrams with the key words and then more diagrams of the ideas surrounding these key words. It helps you plan the layout of your article before you even start putting any words together.

It is like creating a simple outline that you will use as a reference tool while composing the words at hand. You can also open up more than one browser on your computer, so that while one page is loading you can be surfing the Internet on another to find that key phrase or word that you are looking for.

Then you just pop back to that first page, write down what you need and enter the next key word into your search engine. It's good to work with about 3 or 4 pages at a time, this will ensure a constant flow of information.

If you find that a page is loading too slowly then hit the refresh button on your browser, it will either load quickly or not at all. If this is the case, then forget about using that search engine and switch to another one.

There are sites out there that educate you on the best types of engines to use for various categories or subjects. Some will return more hits than others. It's also a useful tool to use the advanced search and look for the most recent material posted within the past few months or weeks.

This is especially true if your dealing with computer knowledge, medical information or scientific data. The world is always changing and it's important to have the most recent information at your fingertips. Your readers will appreciate it or they will comment on how out dated your information is and that is embarrassing to a writer!

Once you have compiled your article, make sure you proofread it and double check those difficult words you are not used to spelling. There are sites on the web that misspell words and it makes you look bad when you do a repeat of the same process. This is especially true when dealing with people's names, occupations or biographic information. Make sure you have the facts straight before publishing the article, or you will be left with egg on your face when someone comments on how "stupid" you are and that you should have done some better research on this particular topic.

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