Article writing means you have a subject, you understand the subject, and your knowledge demonstrates some understanding of your subject. Too often, articles lack content or something I can bite. Make me think when you write.

Tom Schaffer wrote the article, “Some Must-Have Items When Writing for the Internet. Tom lists 4 major facets of an article; number three is “Good Article Content”. Authors must “entertain” and “provide good information”. Readers want solutions, a better life. “What will you tell me that gives me more than I have?” This is what a writer must do.

When you stake a claim in your article, you better give readers evidence that there’s gold in those words. Tom Shaw elaborates, “People respond well to figures, facts and statistics. Try to get great information and as many facts as you can.”

Whether you write or look for what’s right, you need data, “figures, facts and statistics”. This means searching, scouring, digging for information that supports your view.

To do that, you need a tool, and I think Zotero provides the best shovel to dig-up and pile those facts. Zotero is an open source allowing you to “collect, manage, and cite your research sources”. You can save pages to read offline, create notes, tag, and file. You’ll find the Zotero Firefox add on.

When using Zotero, I also discovered the WorldCat Registry, you can register your user account at WorldCat.org. Use your local library! Be sure to register with your local library and library consortium. Libraries provide vast resources, and librarians understand the Internet.

At WorldCat.org you can create a list of “books, videos, articles, and more”.