Intro -- Lexicon of Terminology -- Preface -- Chapter One -- Introduction to Researching for Documentary Programs -- Chapter Two -- Basics of the Job -- Determining production resources -- Organizing your research -- Organizing your progress -- Chapter Three -- Lead Generation -- Understanding how to look for leads -- Where to find leads -- Ensuring diversity in lead generation -- Ensuring plurality in lead generation -- Organising leads -- Chapter Four -- Pitches and Research Packs -- Exposés versus factual-based documentaries -- Story bibles and POV -- Edit assets -- Pitches and research packs -- The five-act format -- Writing the pre-pitch -- Basics of pitch writing -- Revising pitches -- Ethical considerations when writing pitches -- Basics of the research pack -- Revising the research pack -- Ethical considerations when writing a research pack -- Tools to help you with writing a research pack -- Chapter Five -- Lines of Communication, Hand Over Meetings, and Housekeeping -- Communicating with colleagues -- Communicating with sources -- Understanding consent -- Housekeeping -- Chapter Six -- Finding Information -- Fact, rumour, narrative, adjectives, and opinion -- Dealing with gossip and rumours -- Data versus experts -- Background checks -- Reports and academic studies -- Police and court reports -- News articles -- Filling in missing information -- When the researcher is also the scriptwriter -- Chapter Seven -- Correspondence, One Sheets, and Releases -- Story researcher correspondence -- Leveraging One Sheets -- Call sheets -- Writing a summary of cases and leads -- Chapter Eight -- Information Requests -- Dealing with PIOs and other gate-keepers -- Corresponding in a foreign language -- Freedom of information requests -- Using paralegals -- Chapter Nine -- Interviewing and Filling Slates -- Approaching sources -- Vetting sources.

Pre-interviews -- Allaying anxiety -- Accommodating requests -- Prepping sources -- Respecting privacy -- Disclosing information -- Booking contributors -- Filling slates -- Chapter Ten -- Troubleshooting -- Cancellations and reneged permissions -- Handling difficult contributors -- Ethical dilemmas -- Understanding a program's "bible" -- Exposé dilemmas -- Neurocinematic considerations -- Workplace dilemmas and strategies -- Chapter Eleven -- Feedback and Record-Keeping -- Using feedback -- Handling handovers -- Writing handover files -- Documenting cancelled stories -- Levels of record-keeping -- Maintaining files -- Using Null folders -- Preparing for your exit -- Appendix I -- Researcher Checklist -- Appendix II -- Ethics Checklist -- References.