Ten Ideas for Incorporating Facts and Statistics into Non-Fiction Articles
Cathy Belben

Facts and statistics lend credibility to your articles and, like direct quotes and dialogue, add texture to straight narrative pieces.  But finding the data to support your ideas can be challenging—the enormous quantity of websites and books makes this a daunting task.  Here are some tips for finding and using factual data in your creative non-fiction:

1. Read articles which incorporate statistics smoothly. Bill Bryson, in his collection of essays, I’m a Stranger Here Myself, does a great job of this. Many of his non-fiction pieces are also interesting without data, and reading both offers a great basis for comparison.
    

2. Write your article first, leaving blanks where supporting statistics might fit. (If you stop writing to research, it’s easy to get obsessed with finding data and tough to return to writing).  This also works for quotes—I call it “Mad Lib” writing.
    

3. A follow-up to #2:  If you write about topics you’re familiar with and have already read or researched—or simply know about from personal experience—this is even easier.
    

4. Learn to Google.  The most popular internet search engine at www.google.com can lead you to the data you need. Giving it specific information (“leading causes of bicycle fatalities”) helps.
    

5. Use ProQuest. This is an online database of magazine, journal, and newspaper articles that is updated daily. It is available through the Bellingham Public Library’s website and many other public library websites..
    

6. Use the Statistical Abstract.  This yearly publication compiles United States data into hundreds of tables.  Reliable information that can support your writing.  Older versions can be accessed online at http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ or you can access the current print version at the public library.
    

7. Get out the phone book. Use the Yellow Pages to help you locate professionals in your area who might be able to provide you with facts or point you toward a source of data. Don’t be afraid!  People are almost always extremely happy to help or direct you towards someone who will.
    

8. Make connections—tell your acquaintances, friends, and co-workers about your current writing projects. You’ll be please how often someone you know can connect you will a good source.
    

9. Fast Facts (http://www.freepint.com/gary/handbook.htm) is a tremendous list of internet sites that provide statistics and facts to support your writing. A hyper-linked table organized by subject is an excellent resource.
    

10. Quotations from famous people enhance articles, too.  Excellent sources include Simpson’s Contemporary Quotations (http://www.bartleby.com/63/), Brainy Quotes (www.brainyquotes.com) and Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations (http://www.bartleby.com/100/).