Research is one of the great hurdles for beginning children's writers. How do you research effectively? Where do you start? How do you know when to stop?

Most experienced children's writers agree that they begin their research in much the same way, regardless of their target group's age. As U.K. author Diana Kimpton explained, "I don't consciously use different sources for different ages. The important thing is to get the facts right and that may mean going to a source my readers may never approach on their own." Kimpton adds, however, that her reader's age is always a consideration as she plans her research approach. For example, "When interviewing people, I always explain my target age group as I try to think myself into my readers' heads and ask the sort of questions they would ask if they were there."

A plan of attack.

Perhaps you have a vague idea that you would like to pursue a nonfiction piece dealing with a specific area of children's school curriculum. One of the first stops for most children's writers is an Internet search engine and most writers seem to agree on which one is the favorite. "Google [http://www.google.com] is my number one choice for research," says New England writer Jan Kozlowski. "It's fast, clutter free, and its cache feature that highlights the word or words you're searching for on the web page is indispensable."

Online sites found by any search engine tend to be a mixed collection of primary source materials, credible sources, hobby sites, and rubbish. Some sites can offer direct access to primary source materials online. Library, museum, and university sites often tell what source materials are available at their location - copies of which can sometimes be ordered online, through the mail or through your local library. Here are a few excellent, and credible sources:

Government (and government related) Sites:

Portal for Fed Gov sites http://www.firstgov.gov/

Freedom of Information Act http://www.accessreports.com/

The Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/

Smithsonian http://www.si.edu

CIA World Fact Bookhttp://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

The National Archives Online Exhibit Hall http://www.archives.gov/

American Memory http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

WPA Life Histories: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html

Natl. Space Science Data http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Kennedy Space Center http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html

FBI http://www.fbi.gov

Criminal Justice Statistics http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook

Bureau of Justice Statistics http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs

National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD)http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/

University, Library, and College Sites:

A Bibliography of Primary Sources http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/special-collections/

American Family Immigration History Center http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/

University of Technology Library in Sidney http://www.lib.uts.edu.au

Oral History Mailing List and Links: http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~oralhist/

California Oral History Projects Links: http://bob.ucsc.edu/library/reg-hist/index.html

Oral Histories of Rhode Island WWII Women: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/tocCS.html

Internet Medieval Sourcebook Full Text Sources: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook2.html

Online Medieval and Classical Library: http://omacl.org/

Project Gutenberg - not a University site but filled with full-text books: http://www.gutenberg.net

Amer. Life Histories http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html

Full Text Search Engine (etexts) http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/

English Server at CMU (18,000 e-texts) http://eserver.org/

Columbia University: Bartleby Library Full-text books http://www.bartleby.com/

Catalog of libraries http://www.librarytechnology.org/libwebcats/

Finding Experts for Interviews:

Profnet database http://www.profnet.com/ped.html

Profnet features primarily experts from Universities and businesses. I have never been disappointed by the quality of experts I have found through Profnet. I have done telephone and email interviews with several experts for various subjects.

And a handy site for those who use Internet sources:

How to Cite Electronic Sources http://bailiwick.lib.uiowa.edu/journalism/cite.html

Another useful aspect of searching websites for information is finding experts. Sometimes you will find an excellent scholarly site that is not sponsored by either a university or the government. People with a passion for the subject maintain these sites. One such site is the The Messier Catalog at http://www.seds.org/messier/, which catalogs images and descriptions of over 100 diffuse celestial objects. Not only is this a unique site offering up-to-date information that would be difficult to find in a book, it can also be a source for expert contacts in astronomy since the site creators are listed along with email addresses. This kind of research can lead to experts not easily found anywhere else, though careful examination of their credentials is always important.

Online research is only the beginning for most children's writers. The next stop is the public library. Many public libraries now offer dial-up or online access to their catalog. This can time, as you can go to the library armed with a list of titles and call numbers that you want to examine. Also, you can find catalogs from university libraries in the links listed above, they may include sources not offered in your local public library that would be easily available through inter-library loan. Don't search just for books either, since you might find an excellent source in video form. Sometimes the people interviewed in documentaries would make perfect sources for your book also. While you are looking for your list of books, take time to examine the books shelved close to them. Often you will find another good sourcebook that you had not considered. For every book you examine, look through the bibliography for other books and primary sources.

The search for sources can take you to some interesting places. "My next step: state libraries, although they can be intimidating. Museum libraries are friendlier and staff is more helpful. Also, special collections are wonderful, when you can find them," according to children's nonfiction author Candace Tremps. "For example, the Lilly collection at IU has some superb primary source material, but you have to make the trip there and make an appointment. And I found primary sources for my work in progress at Georgetown University, but nothing's available online. They would like a two week advance notice of your visit, and you have to wear special gloves which they provide."

Researching is like solving a mystery. Successful research requires creativity, curiosity and determination, but the results in reader enjoyment are well worth the efforts.