Avoid Getting Lost in the Internet's Endless Abyss

byJOHNRIDDELL2

270 followers

Updated 2 years ago

The best way to avoid being sucked into the rabbit hole when researching is by asking yourself, "why am I doing this?" and then finding a purpose for your search.

Being specific about what information you're looking for will ensure that only relevant results come up, rather than wasting time on stuff people care about or need help with (like grammar).

A remedy for avoiding the internet's endless abyss: ask yourself why we're here; find an intention behind your inquiry - knowledge acquisition or entertainment.

How to Research Effectively In Six Steps

Step One: Keyword

Start by finding a keyword that is relevant to your topic. Use various sources to research your keyword, including Google and Jaaxy.

• Research the keyword and a few frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the topic.
• Use Google's search engine to help your creative process by finding related questions that people are asking.
• Answer some of these questions in your article to provide further information for your readers.

Step Two: Answer the Intent

The most straightforward approach to answer the questions concisely and use Google, Google Scholar, and a few more methods, thus stay organized. By doing so, you'll be able to have some fun and engaging facts at your fingertips in no time!

Using Google itself

First of all, why is it essential to use Google Scholar? Google Scholar can help you find peer-reviewed research papers on any topic. It can also help you find articles that are available online as PDFs or other formats. And it can help you categorize and store your papers for future reference.

So how do you use Google Scholar? First, type in some keywords related to your topic. Then use the "And" operator to narrow your results. You can also use the bullion operator "-title:" to search by article title keywords. And you can use the vertical bar sign to enter two possible variants of what you're searching for.

Finally, save and categorize your papers in your library so you can access them later!

Step Three: Study The Competition

Skim the first page of results for keywords to gain an idea of the topic.

• The next thing to ask is whether or if the structure and legibility can be enhanced.
• Alternatively, you might expand upon your response by highlighting additional information you can provide the reader without deviating from the primary focus or the keyword.

Step Four: Article Outline

Frame the article briefly and put it in writing. Create a rough outline of the post's introduction, main title, and the information it will offer in a series of subtitles to better respond to the reader's demands and help them reach their objectives.

Step Five: Research Article (Different Sources)

Use the following resources in addition to the outline and subtitles to fill in gaps or produce more relevant responses. Think creatively

• Use an AI tool like a free paraphrase or summary tool to collect chunks of information, reference your work in APA style, and keep track of it as you go.
• Start with a few resources and delve more profound if you need more clarification, but always return to your keyword.

Social media: may seem apparent in today's environment, but it's a terrific way to uncover fresh ideas. Look at industry trends and what others are talking about. Social networking lets you interact with industry leaders and learn about current trends.

Brick-and-mortar businesses: Getting out and talking to others may encourage you. Retailers should ask consumers what they like and dislike about their goods and services.

Retailers and Expos: Getting out of the home might often lead to fresh ideas. Visit a trade fair or business expo to view new items if you sell them. Attend a conference or networking event if you offer services to learn about industry trends.

Newspapers! however old-fashioned, are a tremendous source of information and inspiration. The business area features new firms and inventive entrepreneurs, while the leisure section features exciting personalities and emerging trends.

Competitor Sources: Start research using your competitor's sources. They've already done much of the job! Check their website for references. Any studies or reports? If so, write them down and locate them. Check their social media profiles for research-related news and information.

Buzzsumo: helps locate popular stuff online. Buzzsumo will provide the most shared social media articles and posts for a keyword or subject. This shows what material your industry likes. It's also great for monitoring your rivals' internet activity.

Government Statistics: Start with government statistics for complicated industry or issue data. The US government's website offers demographic and economic statistics. Census.gov has state-level statistics too. This data may aid industry trend analysis and marketing strategy development.

YouTube: is surprisingly helpful for research; you may browse informative films on any subject and observe people's responses to current events to see how people feel about different themes. Verify your sources.

Reddit: forums for all kinds of subjects. Try Reddit if you need help locating information. Find something unexpected. Reddit has NSFW material (not safe for work).

Quora: A discussion forum like Reddit. Quora is better for specialized subject knowledge since it answers queries.

The Library: Physical libraries are still helpful for study. Libraries contain books, magazines, newspapers, and other study materials.

Project Gutenberg: 60,000 free eBooks from diverse genres. This may be useful for humanities or social science studies.

The Internet Archives: has millions of digitized books, videos, music, and software from across the globe. This is an excellent resource for humanities papers and original materials.

Podcasts: on almost any subject are growing more popular. Locate a podcast on your issue if you need help finding information.

Product Manuals: Product manuals might be helpful for marketing research. Whether there's a product relating to your subject, check the manual online to determine if it's beneficial for your project.

Google Books searches books: This might help you identify excellent sources for humanities or social science topics.

The Wayback Machine archived web-pages: This might help you find information not on a website, or examine how it has evolved.

Step Six: Write Your Article

With all the new information, rework your plan and give yourself a day to unwind before writing the piece.

Keep to the keyword, keeping in mind the searcher's purpose and requirements and what information they may find on your website (apart from external or internal links) that will be most beneficial to them.

Final Word

Thank you for reading, Wealthy Affiliate Friends! I hope that you discovered some helpful and informative.

I hope you're now armed with all the information you need to write a fantastic research paper (or at least an excellent blog post).

If you have any feedback, please leave them below. And remember: stay wealthy, my friends!

If you could have a robot do your research for you, would you?

Answers:
- Yes, I'd love to never have to do research again!
- No, I like doing my own research