An immediate benefit of surveying is to find out what you know about a topic. Surveying, though sometimes humbling, can often encourage you. Most of the time you will finish your survey while saying to yourself, “Great! I know a lot more than I thought about widgets.” By spreading the draft in front of you and reviewing it for ideas, you gain confidence.
While surveying, you probably will find at least one gaping hole in the middle of your writing. For example, while surveying your writing about new software for your company’s computers, you discover the words intercomputer compatibility, but you can only highlight that phrase—there are no details. You’ve just uncovered a good idea, but it seems to need some research. ...
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