: Re: Consulting experts - why should they talk to someone who isn't a published writer yet? Whatever subject I am researching for my story, the common recommendation is "talk to the relevant professionals".

@Holmes449

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I don't buy any of the "ask an expert" notions either; although here on StackExchange you may find some experts in certain fields, I've been impressed with a few here on Writing, and others on WorldBuilding, in Politics, Law, Astronomy, Finance, etc. This is a friendly forum for asking naive questions (if you do a light search for duplicates first).

The only other resource I can offer (from experience) is that professors in universities have public email addresses, and I know some don't mind answering an outside question about their field, if it isn't brain-dead. Something like,

Hi Professor Amadeus, I am not a student, but I am doing research on X for a project I am working on. I know A and B, but I'm not clear on how that gets to C. Can you point me at something that explains that relationship? I'd appreciate any help you can offer.

That leaves room for them to answer directly, or to send you a note on what to look up. Some won't answer at all, I would not send them a 2nd inquiry. But most teaching professors in my experience are reasonably friendly; the cliché of a curt and dismissive professor is real but very much a minority.

If they are teaching they also have regularly scheduled office hours (for student questions), and if they are interested in your question or exchange, may let you visit their office during office hours. At various times in the semester, between tests, the number of students coming during office hours is zero. Professors often work on their own research then, or other housekeeping (answering emails!), but it is hard to get into concentration if you might be interrupted by students at any moment. If you choose this route, educate yourself and arrive smart enough with questions to answer, don't expect the professor to have prepared anything to talk about. They are doing you a favor by listening, don't sit down and say "educate me."

Also understand that if you visit and a student shows up, the only appropriate response from you is to rise and say "I can wait outside." Some meetings with students need to be behind closed doors; they may be reporting abuse, harassment or private personal matters (e.g. a death in the family, a surgery that conflicts with the final, etc).

Besides that, for some public-service professions, you may get a tour of a facility (fire station, police station) where you could ask questions.

I have found the modern age with search engines extremely valuable in my research, becoming an expert at the search has helped me enormously. I don't find it that hard to read (or skim) the non-fiction sites, like the law, or PubMed. There are sites like avvo.com with tons of free legal advice from lawyers, that take specific questions.

You might search for blogs of experts that write opinions about their field and may answer questions, or some of their readers are experts that will answer a question.

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