How to Collect Information

Simple writing tips how you can collect information

I particularly wrote this post for a writer-friend who recently ask ways how to collect information. Of course it's not only writers who collect information. There's a simple planning process in collecting information made easy.  But as a freelance writer who writes numerous articles on different subjects, I find it much easier to plan how I'll gather my information, both offline and online.

Although I still research and gather my info the old traditional way of a spiral notepad for short info and a handy micro cassette recorder for later playback, I'm aware we also now have the handy iPad at our finger tips. And so too, I use my iPhone for easy brief notes. But when iPhone wasn't available then, I lost capturing lots of thoughts simply because I'd tended to forget having a handy small notepad for emergency back up. My palm pilot was never really that handy. 

Plan your data and info gathering and follow this basic list:

1.  Identify the topic or subject of your research.

2.  Decide what you need to develop your subject.

3.  List down #2 as sub-headings.

4.  Jot down what you already know about your topic, no matter how little you do.

5.  Brainstorm what you know.

6.  Relate #5 with the sub-headings in your list. See if you can group them together.  Soon you will find out that some sub-headings have no entries at all, which means you will need to collect more information for those sub-headings.

7. Clinch your information gathering plan by asking yourself:  "What else do I need to know?"  Who? What? When? How? and Why? are always great extended questions.

The planning process can sometimes lead us to make changes to our sub-headings. It's fine. As long as we follow through the process.