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When researching for an article goes wrong

ClaudiaClaudia
edited January 2008 in - Writing Problems
I know we have a thread about what's annoying about the internet, but I'm so irritated at the moment I need to start my own thread to vent my spleen.
I'm currently researching for a travel article about my trip to North Sulawesi. There were several pieces of research I needed to do - about the flora and fauna and also about the demographics of the island. Knowing that Sulawesi is split into regions, but unable to recall how many or how autonomous they are, I've just been checking on the internet.
IT IS REALLY ANNOYING when different sites give conflicting information!! Who are you supposed to trust??
Okay, rant over and now I'll go back to my bl**dy searches and try again...

Comments

  • coopercooper
    Hiya Claudia. Glad you feel better for that. Stay here for a while and leave the searches alone. They really are absolute b******s.
  • MutleyMutley
    Trust the one that suits your purpose. Or is that too shallow?
  • dorothyddorothyd
    Claudia, I keep finding these problems with my research. I found a very old book on line yesterday, which gave the earl's execution date as the 13th June. That is allegedley Lord Hastings' death date, the Earl's is the 25th and it is well documented. That's just one tiny mistake in a world of mistakes. The big problem for me is that the sites are out of date and you cannot get them corrected. It is a nightmare, and sometimes difficult to know where to go to get the right as in correct information. I've made a valuable contact at Debrett's Peerage, he's been terrific with information, maybe you need to cultivate some people in Consulates and other places, pick their brains as I do.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    It's maddening Dorothy. I've given up and rewritten the article to exclude the 'facts' I can't corroborate. (Naughty Daisy - you have to be accurate with non-fiction.)
    :0)
  • ceciliacecilia
    Do you have a reasonable public library within reach? That might help?
  • CarolCarol
    I'm not sure what Fijian libraries are like.
  • Stan2Stan2
    Or even an unreasonable library? Being serious now Claudia, I wish you well with your article research and writing.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    Why thank you Stan. I've rewritten my article to exclude the information I wanted to include.
    No reasonable libraries around here Cecilia. The nearest would be in the University of the South Pacific in the capital, Suva; a 'plane or 12 hour boat journey away. :0)
  • ceciliacecilia
    We almost went to USP, on leaving PNG! In the event, children's education won out, as USP didn't cover international school fees.

    I wondered about the Fijian library service, as my husband advised on public libraries in PNG.

    Cecilia
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