When relying on Google just won't do

As we continue to live in an ever fast paced world and information and research seems to date quicker than ever, it's not surprising that we turn to the ease of the Internet and sites we find in the search engines to provide us with relevant content to quote in articles, in proposals and even in books that we write.

However, when quoting in our writing, we need to make sure that the source we are using is trusted. This is especially true when quoting other peoples articles and referencing them in our own blog posts or writing.

Today I saw an example of where an "expert" in their field was profiled in a highly respected on-line newsletter in which they write a column.

The subject of the article was about whether to write UK English or US English in your writing of articles and papers for lead generation.

In the article they gave examples of words spelled in US English and UK English  - the only problem was that the spellings in UK English were incorrect and incomplete.

So what was the impact of this? Well their espoused expertise and personal brand took a bit of a hammering. They were being positioned as an expert in the publication, but as their facts were incorrect, anyone reading the article who knew the difference between the UK and US spellings and examples of grammar quoted would immediately discredit the article. In other words, the "expert" was not going to be seen as being credible.

So what's the learning in this for us? Here are seven tips to apply when quoting on-line research:

1. If we are going to use on-line sources for information, make sure that the resource is trusted and has accurate content
2. Check your on-line source out against other points of reference - both on-line or off line
3. If you are going to make a definitive statement make sure hat you are happy to stand by it in terms of it's accuracy if questioned
4. If you are expressing your opinion alongside the research based on your experience and expertise rather then be transparent
5. If you have some questions about the source, check back for clarification with the person who was the originator
6. Make sure that you have a link back to the source of the research in your writing, whether that be on-line or offline so that it is easy for you or others to refer to for clarification
7. And of course, if you are in any doubt about the accuracy of the research, don't use that source material.

Follow these seven steps when quoting information from on-line sources and you will be sure to keep your reputation and personal brand in your writing  as the expert in your field in tact.

Comments

[Dan Schawbel]

Quoting is important to credibility. It's very important to build your content with credible sources.