Researching for content writing
Do we really believe that everything we write is original?
Many years ago I was undertaking a bachelor of business at Swinburne technical college in Melbourne Australia. This institution is now known as Swinburne University. One of the subjects I was taking was business law.
Business law is a very complex, ever-changing, topic. I was amazed when we were told we could take our text books into the exams with us.
I asked my lecturer why this was allowed because at high school we only went in with our brains and a pen.
He said something I've never forgotten. It's impossible for us to keep all the information we are required to learn in our heads, but it is possible to provide our own interpretations. The text books are merely a tool with which to activate our imagination.
When reading training at WA on content writing we are often told to make sure we don't copy others work.
But how to we make sure we don't do that?
No content will ever truly be original .
Why?
Ask yourself a different question. How do we actually learn about a certain topic?
We learn what to write through research, training, listening and experiencing other writers interpretations
Everything we write about we have learned from something or someone else.
Yes, if we're clever enough, we can use our own abilities to enhance what we have learned.
Don't be afraid to read what your competitors have written about your favorite topic.
Researching other blogs is still the most fundamental and comprehensive way to develop a better understanding of your own niche.
Do you realize that even the greatest scholars have learned from others?
None of what I've said should be interpreted as a reason to copy someone else's words.
You must always use your own interpretations. Put your own spin on the topic. Write the article using your own style.
Remember to use your research as a tool to activate your own imagination.
Once you learn to grasp how to leverage the teachings of others to enhance your own content writing ,then you will be well on the way to finding success at Wealthy Affiliate
All the Best. Jim
PS. I hope my blog makes some sense. I'm in a lot of pain while writing this and it's Been hard to concentrate
Recent Comments
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Great post, Jim. I've often shared a similar point of view with other writers. It's a bit like baking ingredients. You might use the same flour, shortening, sugar, and eggs. But combined one way, you have bread while another way you make a cake. Then add your own flavorings and it's now --- original!
That is a great topic and it makes perfectly good sense.
What amazes me is some people who do not have a clue what copyrights are to begin with - and others who simply don't care and would rather try and rip someone else off instead of just creating their own content.
Here are some definitions from the following site;
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https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#what
When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.
Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”
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So - putting that in plain english - the moment your work is created - whether written, audio, video, art etc. or some combination - it is AUTOMATICALLY copyrighted as your work.
Why does it matter?
I have seen people literally copying and selling other peoples work because they do NOT undertsand the above. Keep in mind violators can be held accountable in different ways ... and often are.
Not to mention that stealing other peoples work is just NOT COOL!
Always remember that KARMA thing.
Anyway - the cool thing about business and non fiction topics is that general ideas, knowledge, overall concepts (like leadership, management, etc.) are all things that are widely available and are NOT protected - except again for other peoples specific words and works.
So while you can teach your own courses on Affiliate Marketing, Trucking, Real Estate etc. and cover the very same topics I cover - you Can NOT copy my words, slides, videos, audios etc etc. without violating copyright law.
Keep in mind that most platforms (Udemy, YouTube, and many others) will take your stuff down and possibly boot you off the platform for copyright infringements of other peoples work.
People model stuff all the time without directly copying it. By the way - this is also very eveident in MOVIES and in MUSIC.
Notice how many movies cover the same plots and the same story lines - and how many songs sound oddly familiar too?
It is because they are! They are all modeled on somebody else's work, in one way or another.
That is a good thing too - model - yes but do not COPY and take other peoples work.
Thanks for a thought provoking article.
Best regards,
L.D. Sewell
Morning Jim,
Nice post/ blog to read. I remembered the Colleges life of mine when my professor in Thermodynamic Subject gave us one question in our mid-term test that open notes , open everything, you can run to the library to find the answer for just 1 question mid-term test. And to think that year back more than three decades now still inculcated in my mind.
Regards,
Nila
Thank you Jim for sharing your post, even under that deal of pain. We appreciate that a lot.
You are right, on that basically we are the product of so many minds that have been influential in our live, whether we realize it or not. So probably what I'm saying now is been told to you before by someone else.
Anyway, hope you feel better and have a wonderful weekend.
Felix.
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Thank you for this topic. I garden and propagate plants. I read, research and experiment all the time with different plants. I was hesitant to write articles on the subject, not wanting to give the same information. Now I feel I can write an article and use the information I have learned with my own experiences. Thanks for the post, as it has opened my eyes to start writing posts on a subject I love.
Hi Lonnie. I am also involved with gardening and plants.
It is very rewarding. Do you have a blog or write on the subject? If so I would love to read you work. I spend a few hours a day reading blogs and researching plants when I am not in my garden.
Yes I do. But it's been inactive since September last year because I have been suffering chronic back issues. I hope to return to it soon. You will find it under my profile name.