Thanks for reading, Rachel! My research habit probably comes from my usual writing. I write about what's going on in industries in which I have no working experience. For instance, I'm writing a report on the Malaysian insurance industry landscape... right now. At least, when I'm not distracted by Medium. :) Since I've never worked in insurance, I need to do a lot of research to make sure I know what I'm talking about!

But you're on the right track - research doesn't always have to come from books. No amount of reading could have taught me how to persuade a human trafficker to quit, for instance..