Once you have developed a story idea or research question, identified the audience for the story, and selected the appropriate writing style and voice for the media outlet (op-ed, feature, human interest, review, event coverage, literary report), you should begin your research by exploring background information in order to identify appropriate sources for your article.

Use the drop down menu to select the category of information most suitable to your search:

Industry & Company (if you need basic data or information about a business or company)

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries (if you need a brief overview or definition of key terms)

Biographies (if you need facts about a person)

Local Sources (if you need information about our city or region)

Polls and Public Opinion (if you need public opinion polls on a particular topic)

Statistics and Data (if you need data to support an idea or indicate a trend)

Fact Checking on the Web (for checking various online--and sometimes quirky--sources of data)