Where do good writers do their research?

I am interested in where the better writers do their research. One recent thread that I read contained criticism for writers who don't go to the library physically. However, I doubt that many professional essay writers visit bricks-and-mortar libraries except in very special circumstances. In my case, I can usually find what I need online and have had no problems so far. But admittedly, the majority of my workload involves first- and second-year undergraduate papers. How about everyone else? If I go to a physical library, might I find you there?

No. Emerald is more than enough

This seems silly, its the quality of what you reference and how you analyse it that counts not where you read it. As with yourself I've never had any problems getting journal articles/data online and I also have an extensive number of books in my collection these days. Nothing wrong with libraries of course but why make extra work when there perfectly good material right on screen.

EBSCO is usually available through your local public library but I also subscribe to Questia. I don't recommend Encyclopedia Britannica as a resource -- even though they provide access to EBSCO material, they are overpriced and their articles are frequently wrong.

good on-line libraries are available.

I believe emerald is more than enough..But obviously that is a personal choice.

That is not silly -- to the contrary, that is just pragmatic and very good advice. I still rely on books from time to time (I went to the library today as a matter of fact), but most of this material requires typing which is counterproductive of course. I've tried Dragon but it still takes longer than just typing it (I have my wife read stuff to me). Depending on the project, sometimes I like this type of exclusivity where material can't be readily found online. At any rate, you have your priorities right and your work likely reflects it. Good luck in the future!

There are many good libraries are there which will help increase the knowledge of a person. But most of the researchers and scholars don't get the advantage of this resource. Books are the good friend of a man, that can help in any situation of your life. So keep reading books.

EBSCO is a good on-line library.

There are quite a few high-rated libraries in the WWW. However, for a serious researcher, it is not difficult to understand that every library or database has a specific niche in which they offer their services - online reading material and research tools.

Let's say: the database X has up-to-date reading material available on various fields and disciplines. However, on close scrutiny and experience with them, it is found out that they lack certain sources that are available on library Y or Z.

It is because of a number of reasons. The most important being, to me, is the affiliation with publishing houses and partners. Thus, if you are a professional researcher, perhaps, subscribing to one source is NEVER enough.

Questia is light on scientific stuff, but EBSCO fill in this gap.

*fills

I rarely ever get to use books as my references when I write (paper/print copies). Normally, the sources I use are from the internet. I remember only one time when a good source happens to be in our local library.

Most writers would agree with me that going to the library can take up vital time which can be used to write more papers.

I agree, but we have to draw the line somewhere. All writing and no recreation can make anyone crazy...

This means going to a library is a recreational activity to you? If so, you really are a creative writer.

My wife says I'm a hermit. The library and Indian casino are the only places I ever get to go.

Lolz, that's something unexpected of you.

Why only Indian casino?

I was exaggerating, of course, but Indian casinos are the only kind around here. I wrote a book on how to beat 'em, but I haven't sold any yet ;)

Never ever sold your little secret to others when it's still working. XD

Btw, what's the nature of your beating strategy? pure luck? possibility? statistic? game theory? God loves you?

You might want to put it on your blog (if you have any). If you haven't sold it, it doesn't mean you should let the knowledge rust away in your (e)shelf.

primary or secondary?

Both.

All of the above.

Actually, I've made a study of class II gaming and their random number generators -- I don't think it's random at all. It's completely different from class III (Las Vegas type) but in the final analysis, it's still all blind-damn-luck.

So as for Emerald and Questia, how would I get access? How much would it cost?

The last time I used Questia, its subscription was about $100 per year but I did not find it helpful. If you can get your hand on Emerald, your research work is half done because the amount of journals and books available in that place is just phenomenal. I think I now spend half the time I used to spend when I just had Google (and Questia). The best way of getting access to an Emerald account is via a student but that would mean building a good rapport so as to gain trust, which is not a hard thing if you always meet your end of the bargain.

I still think one of the best ways is the old fashioned way ie going to the library

Do you know how much Emerald might cost if I order it myself?

i can help u in essay writing

findarticles.com RIP

Thanks. Go ahead and send me your journals-database log-in and password. That would be a big help.

Emerald charges per article, i used an article last month, i was charged £4 or you can pay monthly for unlimited access

When I first started out as an academic writer, I was mostly reliant on Google and Google scholar for most of the information I used in the essays. After about a year of writing, I started to notice that the students were requesting that Questia be used more and more often in their research papers. So I signed up for Questia and in the process, found myself open to more orders from the company because of my independent access to an online library. A number of years later, a Jstor subscription became necessary in order to have access to more reliable print journals online. Eventually, I found myself signing up for electronic subscriptions to Newsweek, Time Magazine, National Geographic, and a slew of other formerly only print documentary magazines. I found myself expanding my research library electronically based upon the needs of my clients. I did not find it necessary to go to the local library to access the books and magazines because I always hated having to learn that the material I needed was checked out. I managed to avoid that by using electronic versions of the print materials. Needless to say, for my research, the internet has and will always be my go to place.

You're so full of it. Please tell me when did Google Scholar first appear? By your own account, you have been writing essays for 30 odd years, and yet, somehow, you managed to use Google Scholar in what, 1983? Sigh, at least get your act together if you're gonna write fairy tales, please.

When I first started writing academic essays, I relied (mostly) on all the books that were actually on my shelves (and I have a lot of books, including my late father's library; he was a very well-read nuclear physics professor). So, my first few hundred essay-company essays all cited some combinations of all those same books. Once plagiarism scanning became the norm, I realized that I had to start using unique sources because similar lists of sources could have gotten flagged even when the content of the essays themselves was entirely original. Then I started buying more textbooks and other books that related to the subjects I was covering most often. Nowadays, I still dig info out of books that I own sometimes, but almost all of my main sources are peer-reviewed journals and books available online. Sometimes clients pay me to buy e-books (like the Australian Commercial Law textbook and e-book combo that I just bought tonight), or they actually mail me their textbooks. As a result, I probably have more nursing textbooks on my shelves than many RNs and APNs. I also have pretty sizable collections of business, history, psychology, and sociology textbooks, as well.

Most of my sources come by the same means. I either get books in PDF from clients, or extract them from online databases. It's useful to have access to EBSCO and similar services, saves a ton of time. Textbooks are the biggest pain there is in this business, they're impossible to find online, so if the student does not have a PDF version, I have to buy them. Abebooks and Amazon must love us :)

There have been several changes to the research arena since this post was first made. One of the major changes is that libraries, where they still exist, have more computer terminals than they do books. That is because libraries as on the verge of becoming obsolete. More up to date information can be found online than in books these days, both of the old, new, and updated kind. In order to prevent their total demise, the public libraries have become homes to free internet access instead. University libraries still try to offer a balance of both the print, microfiche / microform, and electronic media to the students, with the internet still outpacing its counterparts as the default research mode of students. The same holds true for writers. Except in situations where the research requires actual interviews or video presentations. While I do not doubt that students and writers may find themselves at a library at some point, I do not believe that these are often done by the aforementioned parties since everyone has some sort of computer (laptop, mobile phone, etc.) to use for reliable research.

Researches can be conducted in multiple occasions and platforms, depending truly on the needs of a writer at the end of the day. Because there are a lot of open source journals now, it makes it easier for writers to be able to curate long-form content without necessarily having to restrict themselves. There are other alternatives as well. Aside from this, the fact that writers are still able to gather data from the student makes the research process easier.

I haven't been in a brick and mortar library since I was in college. Come to think of it, do actual libraries still exist outside of the university setting? I haven't had an actual need to go to a local library for the papers I write because I require the students to submit their required reading materials electronically. I also request that they give me access to their electronic books used in class or that they email me copies of their printed class materials. When needed, I ask them to find the source materials they prefer I use so that they will at least, get some information about the topic I am writing about for them. That way, they also cannot claim that I did not use the materials that they asked me to use. Hey, I'm writing the paper, the least the student can do is provide the material for the content.