charles720•2mo agoProlific Poster

Rant: I was at a library talk in Austin and a guy asked a question that flipped my whole research method.

The speaker was talking about finding old court records and I was just taking notes on the main points. A guy in the back asked exactly where the speaker found a specific 1890s land deed, and the speaker named a tiny county archive website I never checked. I went there and found three key documents for my project in an hour. What's a small tip you got from a random question that actually worked?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_robin2mo ago

Ever ask about someone's exact search terms? Tbh, I read a blog where a guy said he always asks that at conferences. It sounds too simple, but I tried it once and got a way better database to check. That little detail changes everything.

hall.jenny2mo ago

That "little detail changes everything" is so true, it's like getting the secret map.

wright.leo2mo ago

Wait, so what was the exact search term he used?

simon_carr2d ago

The exact search term was probably something like "how to get free stuff without getting caught" lol. That's usually where these things start before someone finds out the hard way that "illegal PDF" isn't a great search term for a law student. I'd love to see the guy's browser history, bet it's a goldmine of terrible ideas. lmao