That's a really broad question. What kind of information? Is it something you could find at a library or do you have to go undercover with a human trafficking gang in Kosovo?
I'm trying to find things about how an asylum would work and information about detectives and how they do their job. Thanks for acknowledging this btw
Mmm i think it will be in an almost-1970s period. Somewhere around that time. I haven't set my mind on it yet
I find videogames a good way to 'steal' the effort that was specifically put for the cause I happen to be seeking. The immersive ones should hold clues for you, in regards of 'atmosphere'. When talking about asylums, Sanitarium(1998) comes to mind, also Dark Corners of the Earth(2005) has generated video sequences for asylum atmospheres, portrayed from a Lovecraft aspect - and of course, the obvious Lovecraft work. The latter also, if you happen to know, includes detective work, as, the main character is a detective.
Check out "On Being Sane in Insane Places" (Rosenhan, David L., 1973. Science, Vol. 179). Basically, this psychologist in the early '70s enlisted 8 sane people with no history or diagnosis of mental illness whatsoever, to check themselves into 12 mental hospitals and asylums. In his report published in Science, he documents what went on there. the whole article is interesting, but I think you may get the most relevant information in the sections titles " THE EXPERIENCE OF PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION" and "POWERLESSNESS AND DEPERSONALIZATION"
as to this one, since you didn't mention a location, I believe looking at the wikipedia page for "Private Investigator" may be your first stop. a more specific (historic) example is the Pinkerton Agency. i dont know where you are, but the Pinkertons got its start in the 1800s in Chicago. Their website has their approach to investigating. Generally, when researching if you do not know where to start, its best to do a broad search with general information (wikipedia is a good start). You'll get information that will help you narrow your search down to something more specific. You'll also pick up search terms as well (for example, you may get more or less information depending on if you use the term "detective" over "private investigator" or vise versa). Most writers gather information BEFORE they write (i am not one of those writers, haha!), and I assume its a different process. I gather information as needed. if I have questions or concerns about something, Or i notice something isn't quite adding up, I search for it. In this way, it narrows my focus and my search is more specific.
Thank you for your help so far, I really needed help looking for this information. I searched on Google and on Bing but i seem to have trouble searching for the specific information that i need.
A good place to research any particular topic is to look at the history from a broader sense, then narrow down your focus on particular case studies or events (as has been mentioned). An author researching what life was like as a 17th century sailor could find a summary of the functions of sailors at sea as written by a historian, but nothing beats the diaries and log books written by the sailors themselves. If you were looking for what life is like in an asylum, focusing on a handful of case studies would offer a similar insight, as interviews with patients are often revalatory. Many asylums would have their own histories and records of abuse or best practice, especially in countries where such ventures were privatised. I think the 1970s and 1980s were an interesting time for the old style of institutionalisd mental care. It was when institutions were rapdily losing funding, and the conditions in many larger asylums had detiorated to abhorrent standards by the 1960s. There was a push for change in approach. (a good case study is Forest Haven, a site meant for those with learning difficulties, which sounds quite romantic at first - a life of bucolic simplicity for its patients - but lack of funding, staff shortages, and rampant abuse of patients made it into a waking nightmare. By the low point, the place had broken windows throughout, leaking radiators and patients wandering at will with no supervision. Deaths were common and frequently the result of abuse and neglect. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence online that suggests the institution was causing learning difficulties rather than curing them - yikes.
