Responsible Blogging About Contemporary Issues Requires Research

The professional bloggers all say that a blogger needs about 90 minutes to create a quality post. They also say that rich, valuable, well-written content attracts and retains readers. If I write a slice of life or a rant about my opinion, I can easily write a post of 500-700 words, edit and polish it and schedule it for publication inside a 90-minute slot.

However, I write about issues in contemporary culture, an environment that morphs daily and redefines itself without notice. To speak with any credibility in this realm requires research. Research takes time. It is easy to be lured down fruitless rabbit holes.

Without a good plan for saving and retrieving my research, the time required would truly overwhelm my days. My topics are sometimes controversial. When dealing with contemporary controversy, it is not smart to be fuzzy about the facts. There are two reasons for research:

• The author needs to have the facts straight, and
• The reader needs to be able to verify that the author has the facts straight.

Research presents two problems: first, the time required to find the information, and second, the problem of saving the information for easy retrieval.

Because writing content that is timely and accurate in support of what may be a controversial position invites skepticism on the part of the reader, the blogger must invest the time for thorough research.

As a Christian writer, I want my work to stand up to the harsh light of critical examination by readers who reject my faith. If my facts are fuzzy, my reasoning will be fallacious, and my readers will be gone.

I do most of my research on the internet, because anything current and important can be found there. Because I have learned that any single source can get it wrong sometimes, I try to verify information from more than one source. I also look for sources that have credentials. I prefer a source like the Council for Secular Humanism to a source such as Pithy Ngrams.  

If I find good information, I must be able to retrieve it when I need it. Many professional bloggers swear by Evernote for their research. I tried it, but it did not fit my style. Microsoft One Note is the best solution for me. It mimics my personal style by presenting my data in the form of tabbed notebooks. I keep hardcopy notebooks all the time for records of ideas, work lists, and offline research. The notebooks in One Note allow me to work online in the same style.

I cannot do both the research and the writing in 90 minutes. Michael Hyatt, for example, recommends that research be scheduled in its own time slot. I have tried that, but I often discover as I write that I need more data in order to justify or explain a point.

Sometimes I write a statement that seemed completely obvious as I was planning my post, but on edit, I find myself asking, “Where did this come from?” It is not uncommon for my writing time to be extended beyond the 90 minutes because I need more research. I consider it a matter of integrity to be able to give my reader links to sources that validate my statements and positions.

Some writers feel free to make assertions and leave the reader to do his own research. I think it shows respect for the reader to provide any links necessary to support any point that might raise questions in the reader’s mind.

I could fill my posting calendar much more rapidly if I could simply divide my day into 90-minute bites and write. That does not work, but in the months since I committed to deep research, faithful posting and quality content, I gain new followers every week. I am convinced that being faithful to God’s call to write on this subject and being faithful to provide my readers material that is worth their time will ultimately connect with all those people God intends for me to serve. I pray that integrity and faithful service will help me to become the servant writer God has called me to be.

QUESTION: What topic do you write about most often? Does it require much research on your part? Why or why not?

* Image credit: paurian (Creative Commons)