Facts in a Flash: A Research Guid for Writers

This book has eliminated the needle-in-the-haystack search for both obvious & obscure facts. The author must surely be familiar with the frustration of having to interrupt a writing flow in order to search hi & lo for facts that oftentimes refuse to be found. Can't imagine how much time this book is saving me on research - my guess is tons!

With FACTS IN A FLASH, Metter brings hope back to writers who, like me, are completely dumbfounded about finding accurate facts and information on a given subject. Even having access to the Internet, as full and wonderful as it is, is no substitute for the help to substantiate information that this reference provides. This book will put an end to fighting time for the sake of reference. I would highly recommend FACTS IN A FLASH to students who spend a great deal of time on research and to anyone who writes.

...a book like this one.Whether your research needs are in the areas of government, law, culture, history, business, statistics, or verifying quotes and attributions, Metter shows you where to find what you're looking for. She presents access to multiple formats (phone numbers, print publications, CD-ROM, Web and/or subscription data base information) together rather than separately, so that under any heading you instantly have a variety of research approaches at your command. Metter is a recipient of the Excellence in Librarianship Award. It's easy to see why. Anyone who does research knows librarians are invaluable, friendly, knowledgeable research assistants. Metter takes this happy cliché to a new level. Her "Research Techniques and Strategies" chapter is a straightforward education in and of itself. If you've been baffled by Boolean searches and twitipated by telnet, Metter sets you straight. Whether it's using search engines effectively, learning to tap into The Library of Congress online, interviewing distant experts or making the best use of your local library's interlibrary loan facilities, you'll find clear directions. With Facts, you'll spend less time learning how to do the research and more time doing it. What a relief it is to encounter inclusive research advice that doesn't raise the Internet to levels divine, but treats it as a tool for accessing the wide variety of available resources. As a former English teacher and devoted library aficionado, I thought I knew a thing or two about research. Perusing "Facts" was a lesson in humility. A boon for writers, but also a great gift for students, teachers and anyone on your list who'd like to know how to find out what they don't know...

This book would be of use to anyone who wants to learn how to find information more efficiently. It goes beyond the Internet, which is helpful. Quite a variety of Web addresses and phone numbers.