Any writer who steps into a library to perform research is quickly met with a copious array of resources – everything from the internet to reference books to newspapers and other periodicals. And most of those materials are found neatly organized in the adult section of the library. But what happens when a writer ventures to the children’s area and discovers useful material there, such as a children’s biography or a magazine article for teens? Is it considered as authoritative as adult research?
While using children’s books and materials for research may be okay for student writers, it isn’t usually a recommended practice for professionals. Still, there are exceptions and even situations when children’s materials make the best resources for writers. Here are some general guidelines for researching and citing children’s works:
Children’s Resources Make Good Background Research
When researching and writing about an unfamiliar topic, it’s important to read as much material on that topic as possible. Children’s books can be a good place to start the learning process, as they often spell things out in simpler terms and provide basic background information. For children’s nonfiction writers, browsing through children’s materials helps in other ways, too, by giving writers examples of writing styles and the types of topics publishers seek.
Good children’s resources to consult for background information include children’s and teen encyclopedias, biographies, nonfiction subject matter books, almanacs, atlases, magazines (including e-zines), textbooks, and movies. Picture books can even provide useful background reading and visual research.
Children’s Books and Materials Can be Primary and Secondary Sources
Some children’s materials, however, go a step beyond providing basic background reading for writers. In fact, a children’s book may be the best source a writer can find on a given topic. Perhaps the author is a respected expert in the topic area or the book is the most up-to-date and accurate resource available. Such a book becomes a key secondary source and one worth listing in a bibliography.
In some situations, children’s materials can even be used as primary sources. Imagine, for example, writing an article on a famous children’s author in history. Naturally you would want to review works created by that author, whether they’re books, poems, or illustrations. You may even want to quote parts of them in the article. Those works are firsthand, original sources, again worthy of a place in the article’s bibliography.
But before listing any children’s item in a bibliography, make sure the item is a quality resource. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers sums it up best by offering this advice to writers: “Weigh what you read against your own knowledge and intelligence” and “[f]ocus particularly on the authority, accuracy, and currency of the sources you use.”
Finally, if a children’s resource contains a bibliography or reference list, review it for other pieces of research that may be worth consulting. Try to back up the facts with several sources, especially if one of them is a children’s book.
Although children’s materials aren’t typically used for research by professional writers, a children’s book can be every bit as reputable as a book written for adults. Bottom line? There are times when researching and even citing a children’s work makes sense.
Source:
- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Ed.). New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
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