BIP Day 9: Researching content taking too long? Three lightning-quick techniques to create researched content fast
And Day 9's build-in-public update
Research is the black hole of content creation.
We decide to research a content area. We search, we read, we gain insights. But end up with a confusing pile of links we can't make sense of.
Here are three laser research techniques that help you escape the research black hole:
Generate questions
Read surgically
Write bullet answers
1) Generate questions
Before you start research write down the major questions on your mind. Questions give your mind a target for your research. They ensure you know what to read and what to discard.
2) Read surgically
As you read, underline material that speaks to you. Look for answers to your questions. Don't be afraid to skip entire sections that you know will not address your needs. In some books, I've only read one or two chapters that were relevant to me. You can do the same.
3) Write bullet answers
Once you are finished with a book chapter or article, write answers to your research questions in the form of bullet points. This ensures you are putting information in your own words and sticking to the essential points.
With these three methods 1) generating questions, 2) surgical reading and 3) bullet answers, you'll find that you can do your own research at light speed.
Day 9 Build-In-Public Update
Today I wrote out Part 1, Section C which is about two pages. The writing went pretty quickly since most of what I needed was in the bullets I’d written earlier. Below is a screenshot.
The parts in red are things that my editing software thinks I may need to change. When I get to an editing phase, I’ll take a look at them. For now, I just type away to get out a draft.
