including research in a non- fiction book
by cress
(vancouver.bc.canada)
Question: How do I include research into my book.
My book includes case studies. Do I add it the the bottom of the case study, if it is applicable, like a footnote then add research on another page?
Or at the bottom of the page have a general research quote then on back pages include the bio info on the research?
I appreciate your help.
In Gratitude
Cress
Answer: To a certain extent, it depends on what type of non-fiction book you are writing, how much you rely on the published research done by others, how academic a work it is, and who the audience is.
My preference is to play it safe. When quoting other people's published research and works, I prefer to footnote the source and also include a description of it in a Bibliography or Reference section at the back of the book. You can follow the MLA Handbook, APA, or the Chicago Manual of Style, as long as you are consistent.
If you are using your own original research, then you are free to quote it or discuss it as you like. If it would help your readers to have a complete case study for reference (but you don't want to paste the whole document into a chapter) then you can put it into an appendix. When you refer to it in a chapter, you can insert a footnote along the lines of "See appendix 1." Of course, that's assuming the case study is your own work.
You should limit your use of lengthy quotations of other people's works that are not in the public domain. There's no agreement on how much of a work you can quote before it becomes grounds for a lawsuit, even if you include a proper footnote.
A certain amount of "fair dealing" is allowed for research, criticism, review, education, parody, or news reporting. It also makes a difference whether your quote will increase or decrease the market for the original work.
Your publisher should be able to let you know if there's a problem, or get permission if needed.
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