By Rebecca E. F. Barone
Nonfiction writers love to learn new things. But there’s so much information out there. The first time I wrote a book, I panicked. I couldn’t possibly read everything published on the subject or talk with every expert.
How do you know when to stop doing research?
These are four questions I use to help me.
1.) Does enough information exist on this topic?
An initial set of research is my first step in trying to find out if an idea is a viable topic or not. This is a quick survey of what’s easily accessible. Are there books at my local library or ones easily available through inter-library loans? Are there many experts working in the field, and can I find their contact info?
The emphasis here is on quick. I’m not researching to learn anything, really, just to find out if I could learn something.
I stop when I can answer this question with a definite yes or no.
2.) Am I finding out new information?
This is a question for when I’m fully immersed in a project. I’m reading like crazy. I’m talking with people. I’m visiting museums and going places, taking notes, and adding sources to my reference manager like it’s going out of style.
The first time I read a fact and realize I already knew it from previous research is an amazing feeling. I’m finally starting to feel comfortable with the subject!
The second time? I get bored.
The third? …okay, time to be done.
I have to remember that a new source does not necessarily mean new material. If you aren’t finding out new information, then it’s time to wind down research.
3.) Is my research age-appropriate?
There was a night while I was writing Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis’ Secret Code when my husband and I were pouring over equations in a codebreaker’s memoir. My husband (who has a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and minor in math) and I (who have two MS’s in mechanical engineering) sat at our kitchen table, trying and struggling to follow the codebreaker’s work.
If the two of us were having a difficult time with the material, was this level of detail going to be relevant to my MG readers at all?
No.
It was research, to be sure. But it wasn’t useful.
It’s time to stop researching if you’re far beyond the scope of my audience.
4.) Is my research driven by the story?
White is the scariest color. There aren’t many things more terrifying to me than a blank page.
Research can become an excuse to delay writing. “Oh, I just need to read one more book, then I’ll start writing,” I tell myself.
But no, I have to start writing.
And when I’ve written the story, I’ll undoubtedly have some holes to fill in. There’s always some final research to do.
At this point, it’s tempting to shoe-horn in more and more cool facts. After all, the topic is so cool, right? I (and you!) wouldn’t be writing about it otherwise! This is the part, though, where letting the story guide the research is key.
It’s helpful here to lean on critique partners and beta readers. Do they understand the story? Is the information presented clearly? Let additional research be guided by the areas that need more explanation.
And then…be done.
It really is okay to stop researching.
So don’t panic. There’s a world’s worth of information out
there, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Use these questions to guide
you, and don’t be afraid to drop me a line if you need an extra bit of
reassurance. You, too, can stop researching, start writing, and finish a
project!
Rebecca E. F. Barone is an engineer who has worked on injury
analysis for the National Football League, knee mechanics during car crashes, development
of gait biometrics, and engine calibration of hybrid cars. Realizing her love
for books in addition to numbers, she now describes the world with words rather
than equations. Her books include Race to the Bottom of the Earth:
Surviving Antarctica, Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis’
Secret Code, and Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of
Mount St. Helens. Her next, Double Crossed: The WWII Spies Who Saved
D-Day will be published winter, 2026.