The importance of resisting the temptation to rely on AI for writing tasks. It emphasizes the value of high-quality research and writing using trustworthy data and sources. The author, Estelle Erasmus, shares her experience of writing about getting pregnant in her forties and how updating facts and figures with supportive and relevant peer-reviewed research helped her quickly turn around a story.
The article provides tips for writers to consider before turning to automated tools like generative AI for their writing work. One of the key suggestions is to find statistics from primary sources. Identifying experts, peer-reviewed research study authors, and sources who can speak with authority can significantly enhance the quality of your work. The author cites an example of writer William Dameron who based his essay on a statistic from the American Heart Association about how LGBTQ people experience higher rates of heart disease due to discrimination. He verified the information from the primary source, emphasizing the importance of checking primary sources to avoid errors introduced in secondary sources.
Another tip is to dive into databases for research. The author shares the example of Jen Malia, author of The Infinity Rainbow Club series of children’s books, who wrote a piece about dinosaur-bone hunting for Business Insider. Malia used multiple resources online and on the museum site to gather information on the exhibits she saw, the history of the Bone Wars, and the scientific names of the dinosaurs she was inspired by. She also used the Library of Congress’ website, which offers digital collections and links to the Library of Congress Newspaper Collection.
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