Research Writer Interview With Adriana
From Hobby to Academic Freelance Writing Gigs
How did you get into academic writing?
When I was in school, several professors commented on my writing. More than a few suggested I get into writing. Based on the quality of my academic entrance essay, I was asked to be a columnist in the school paper. Several times students asked me to help edit college essays. Members of my family would call me up when they entered school to help them with papers, and I found as time went on even though I got a job in a “traditional” field involving accounting and bookkeeping, I kept up writing as a hobby. Eventually, that hobby turned into a freelance gig as clients referred my work out to others.
What would you say sets you apart from others?
I would say my speed. I have yet to find anyone that can type as fast as I can. Sometimes this sets people off, and makes them think that I do not take time with my work. But, this couldn’t be further from the truth. I have been fast my whole life. I learned to play piano and flute early on, and I think this contributes to my speed. I have always typed more than 75 WPM. I think very fast, so once I conduct research, the words naturally come together. Once I read a description of an academic need, I immediately know whether I can do a project or not. If I have a thesis, the rest is easy.
Where do you conduct research?
I’ve always been an avid reader. I used to read between one and two books a day. Now, I take that interest to the web. I am a member of multiple online databases. I have access to health and medical journals, online research databases, and traditional university research facilities. I live within a 10 mile radius of three separate universities, so at any time I can travel to one of them and access any type of journal that I need. It’s never been a problem for me to get the information I need to conduct in-depth research.
What type of research do you enjoy doing most?
I like all types of research. I find the more variety I have, the happier I am. I have done papers for students that are new to college, and assisted graduate students with their dissertations. I find working on different subjects helps keep me fresh. At times I’ve worked on health, medical and nursing subjects, but sometimes it’s nice to change things up and work on business, marketing and financial subjects. Fortunately I have a strong foundation in medicine, health and business subjects. This helps me when researching a wide range of topics. I believe having a solid knowledge base in many areas helps you provide a more thorough research model when helping others. I’ve also worked as a business manager in the health, finance and marketing industries, which helps me gain insight when writing for others.
Have you worked in academia?
Yes! I worked in K-12 and also for universities, so I am familiar with the difficulties that students and professors face when trying to develop complicated thesis and proposals. I find this advantageous as well when conducting research.
Do you find more recent research to be ideal when creating models?
Sometimes. Often more recent studies are relevant to certain proposals, but when researching the theoretical foundations of a subject, it helps to look back over historical research. At times a theory from the 60s or earlier may be appropriate, especially when looking into methodologies for a proposal.
Anything else you would like to add?
I would just like to say that I really enjoy helping students and faculty be the best they can be! There is nothing quite as rewarding as putting knowledge into action!