Research Before the Internet

 

The other day Roland was looking for a particular flight’s on-time takeoff record, and he found the information. Then he said, “What did we do before the Internet?”

We wouldn’t have bothered trying to discover flight history. It would have been too much work for not enough benefit. But it made me think about doing research in “the old days.”

I try to do most of my background research before I start the first draft. That hasn’t changed over the years. What has changed is where I get that research from. I used to spend days in the library and hope that the best information could either be photocopied or checked out. If it couldn’t, I took notes on 4x6 notecards. Sometimes I would discover a book I wanted to buy, but I couldn’t always afford it. Now I search the Internet, looking mainly for PDFs to download or books I can buy from Amazon since I have more money than I did back in the early days. The main reason I buy a book rather than get it at the library, though, is because I like to mark up my research materials and keep them for subsequent review. Libraries don’t appreciate it when you do that.

My subsequent research process has changed significantly. I used to write the entire first draft while making notes about the additional information I needed to look up, then go to the library to find it. Now I interrupt my first draft to look up information on the Internet before continuing on.

The Internet didn’t change the importance of research, but it did make it easier.

I can live without the Internet.

But I’d rather not.