Read, wRite and Research. Six Techniques to Get More from the Web than Google Will Tell You matches my research style almost perfectly. Below are some of my comments:

1. Use Search Engines and Wikipedia to Find Quality Research Sources
Of course I would never cite Wikipedia or take what it says at face value, but if you are investigating a topic you are not familiar with Wikipedia comes in handy in pointing you the right direction. Google Scholar, Google Books as well as the Search Inside function at Amazon are great for finding sources too.

2. Search Blogs for Specialized Experts Who Sift Through the Web for You
Technorati is your friend. With blogs numbering in the millions these days there is bound to be someone out there filtering your sources for you. Find them, and more importantly where/who they lead you to. Podcasts can be helpful, but are difficult to skim for specific information. Go through the shownotes to find relevant podcasts and listen to them while you commute. If something good comes up make a note, go back to the shownotes for more detail and follow-up.

4. Find Statistical Data on Government Sources
The World Bank StatsCan stat.go.jp SIPRI and countless other organizations make their data available in online databases. Many include downloadable spreadsheets that you can use in your own work.

Also, when doing research you will need some good tools. Here are a few of my pics:

• use del.icio.us to track your research on the web
• OttoBib for properly formatted bibliographies. Other people I know use EndNote
• a notebook app or personal wiki to organize your research and writing. I use Scrivener.
• a GTD app for keeping track of your next actions. I use OmniFocus.
• lastly Numbers for my spreadsheets and graphs, Pages for my page layout and Keynote for presentations.

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