Article Writing 101: 7 Tips To On-Line Research For Your Articles, White Papers And Business Books

As we continue to live in an ever fast paced world and information and research seems to date quicker than ever, it's not surprising that we turn to the ease of the Internet search engines to provide us with relevant content to quote in blog posts, articles, proposals and even in books that we write.

However, when referencing sources in our writing, we need to make sure that the references we quote from can be trusted. This is especially true when quoting other peoples articles and referencing them in our own blog posts, articles, white papers or other writing.

Take for example the"expert" in their field who was profiled in a highly respected on-line newsletter in which they write a column.

The subject of the article was about whether to write UK English or US English when writing white papers for lead generation.

In the article they gave examples of words spelled in US English and UK English - the only problem was that the spellings in UK English were incorrect and incomplete.

So what was the impact of this?

Well, as a result, their personal brand and reputation as an expert was left tarnished. They were being positioned as an expert in the publication, but as their facts were incorrect, anyone reading the article who knew the difference between the UK and US spellings and examples of grammar quoted would immediately discredit the article. In other words, the "expert" was not going to be seen as being credible.

So how can we prevent this happening to us?

Here are seven easy tips to apply when researching on-line for your articles, white papers and business books:


If you are going to use on-line sources for information, make sure that the resource is trusted and has accurate and relevant content
Check your on-line source out against other points of reference - both on-line or off-line
If you are going to make a definitive statement make sure hat you are happy to stand by it in terms of it's accuracy if questioned
If you are expressing your opinion alongside the research based on your experience and expertise rather then be transparent
If you have some questions about the source, check back for clarification with the person who was the originator
Make sure that you have a link back to the source of the research in your writing, whether that be on-line or offline so that it is easy for you or others to refer to for clarification
And of course, if you are in any doubt about the accuracy of the research, don't use that source material.
Follow these seven steps when quoting information from on-line sources and you will be sure to keep your reputation and personal brand in your writing as the expert in your field in tact.

Do you want to learn more about this and similar strategies? Then join me for my no-cost branding and business development teleseminars.

Register today at: http://www.bizgrowthlive.com

Want to get started immediately? Then visit http://www.bizgrowthnews.com for immediate access to free resources, articles and audio turorials and bring your corporate brand, employer brand and personal brand to life today!

Copyright 2007 - Krishna De. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long the article is printed in it's entirety, you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way and include the copyright statement.

About the author: Krishna De is considered to be one of Europe's leading branding, business blogging, corporate podcasting marketing and media experts. You will find Krishna building her brand online at http://www.krishnade.com where you can also access her content rich branding and business development ezine, bringing you strategies, inspiration and tips to attract more clients in less time with less stress.