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The 5 Ws of Research

Original price was: $75.00.Current price is: $0.00.

Register Now
The 5 Ws of Research

The 5 Ws of Research

Learn how to uncover public records and hard-to-find facts in The 5 Ws of Research, an on-demand course taught by veteran journalist Caryn Baird, with additional insights from PolitiFact staff writer Loreben Tuquero. With more than 1,000 front-page research credits at the Tampa Bay Times, including five Pulitzer Prize-winning projects, Baird teaches the strategies used in top newsrooms to track down police reports, court records, corporate filings and more. Master the essential questions—who, what, where, when and why—to build smarter searches and uncover the truth. Thanks to PolitiFact, this course is offered for free for 1 month.

July 30, 2025

Overview

  • Free for a limited time—includes full access to the course, normally $75, with downloadable guides and resources.
  • Join our live webinar on July 30 at noon Eastern and get access to the replay.
  • Gain skills used by top investigative journalists in award-winning newsrooms.
  • Learn proven research strategies from expert Caryn Baird.
  • Great for journalists, researchers, students and curious truth-seekers.

Original price was: $75.00.Current price is: $0.00.

Register Now
SKU: PWEB03-25 Tags: ,

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will:

  • Master techniques to find public records, legal filings and hard-to-locate documentation.
  • Apply the 5 Ws to sharpen your research and uncover essential facts quickly.
  • Build smarter, faster search strategies that improve accuracy and results.
  • Spot hidden connections in documents that reveal deeper relationships or histories.
  • Analyze real-world examples from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism.
  • Strengthen your ability to verify facts and avoid common misinformation traps.
  • Decode complex government forms and records with greater ease and precision.
  • Navigate databases, archives and open records with growing confidence.
  • Develop a repeatable process to investigate people, places and events.
  • Approach every story with tools to uncover what others miss or overlook.
The 5 Ws of Research
Sale!

Original price was: $75.00.Current price is: $0.00.

Register Now

Overview

  • Free for a limited time—includes full access to the course, normally $75, with downloadable guides and resources.
  • Join our live webinar on July 30 at noon Eastern and get access to the replay.
  • Gain skills used by top investigative journalists in award-winning newsrooms.
  • Learn proven research strategies from expert Caryn Baird.
  • Great for journalists, researchers, students and curious truth-seekers.

Training five or more people?
Check out our custom training.

Follow the Facts: A PolitiFact Webinar on Research and Verification

Whether you’re a journalist, researcher or curious truth-seeker, this course will teach you how to uncover what others can’t — and verify what others won’t. The 5 Ws of Research gives you the tools to dig up the public records, documents and data that bring stories to life and hold power to account.

Taught by Caryn Baird, a research expert with more than 1,000 front-page credits at the Tampa Bay Times — including five Pulitzer Prize-winning projects — the course walks you through the research strategies used in professional newsrooms every day.

A car accident generates a police report. A new business requires a corporate filing. A deed can show whether the people who bought a home were married. An old court record might reveal a prior spouse, child support payments or a felony conviction. Bridges, towns and people can all change names over time — and somewhere, there’s paperwork to prove it.

To uncover those records, you need to understand the 5 Ws of research:

  • Who you’re searching for
  • What you hope to find
  • Where to search
  • When the event happened
  • Why you’re looking in the first place

Knowing the why helps you build smarter search strings — and retrieve better, more relevant information.

Every fact leaves a trail. This course will teach you how to follow it.

Enroll to get the latest resources from Poynter.

Questions?

If you need assistance, email us at info@poynter.org.

The course begins with a live session on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. During this 90-minute webinar, award-winning researcher Caryn Baird will guide participants through the real-world tools and techniques she used to support five Pulitzer Prize-winning projects.

In this live session, participants will:

  • Learn how to apply the 5 Ws of research to sharpen searches and uncover hidden details

  • Explore case studies and live demonstrations showing how to track down court records, corporate filings, property deeds and more

  • Discover how to interpret and cross-reference documents to verify facts and build stronger stories

  • Have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personalized guidance from Baird

Can’t attend live? The course will be available on demand for one month, offering flexibility to watch or revisit the material at your convenience.

Whether you’re reporting, investigating or fact-checking with precision, this course provides actionable skills you can use right away.

This PolitiFact webinar is specifically designed for:

  • Journalists who need research assistance
  • Newsroom leaders who wish to outsource research
  • Freelancers and influencers/creators who want to improve their product

Already have an audience but feel you’re missing the assurance of vetted material to use in your content? This course will provide the knowledge to reduce the risk of  libel claims.

Instructors

  • Caryn Baird
    Researcher
    Caryn Baird is a researcher for PolitiFact and The Poynter Institute. She previously was the senior news researcher at the Tampa Bay Times where for...
    Read More
  • Loreben Tuquero
    Staff Writer, PolitiFact
    Loreben Tuquero is a reporter covering misinformation for PolitiFact. She previously worked as a researcher/writer for Rappler, where she wrote fact checks and stories on...
    Read More
  • Lane DeGregory
    Enterprise reporter, Tampa Bay Times
    Lane DeGregory is a listener, a writer, a teacher. She loves true stories, intimate details and big ideas. She interviews strangers and writes about real...
    Read More

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