Whether you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, or a memoir, you’ll probably need to do a little—or a lot—of research at some point. These days, that means delving into online research.

Writers joke about how our search histories would get us arrested if taken out of context. (“How long does it take cyanide to kill someone?” “What’s the best way to hide a body in winter?”) But jokes aside, research is where your story gets its richness. And thanks to the internet, you’ve got a treasure chest of online research at your fingertips—if you know where to look.

Here are a few gems and shortcuts:

• Google Books & Archive.org. Want firsthand accounts, old magazines, or obscure texts? These sites are a gold mine for primary sources you’d never find in a quick Google search.
• Newspapers.com. It’s a subscription, but if you’re writing historical fiction or memoir, digging into old local newspapers is like striking oil.
• YouTube. Need to know how a blacksmith works, what it feels like to parachute, how to rescue a kitten trapped in a vent, or what 1970s commercials looked like? Somebody’s uploaded it. (Be careful—you may get lost down a rabbit hole of those kitty videos.)
• Reddit and specialized forums. Want to know how EMTs really talk about trauma, or what life in a small Alaskan town feels like? There’s a subreddit or forum for that. Just remember, these are personal anecdotes, not peer-reviewed facts.
• Google Scholar. When you need academic credibility—statistics, studies, or more technical information—this is your shortcut to legit sources.
• Wayback Machine (archive.org/web). Need to see what a website looked like in 2002? The Wayback Machine has your back.

Shortcuts for smarter searching:

• Use quotation marks for exact phrases (“climate change in 1970s California”).
• Add “site:.edu” or “site:.gov” to limit results to educational or government sites.
• Search by filetype (for example, “filetype:pdf” + your subject) to pull up white papers, guides, or reports.

And here’s my biggest tip: the real gems often hide beyond page 2 of search results. Take the extra time to dig.

Because here’s the truth: good online research doesn’t just make your writing accurate—it adds authenticity and makes it come alive.