Journalistic research strives for completeness, balance, and accuracy with the understanding that each individual report is, by definition, incomplete and weighted toward a particular view by the accessibility of sources and the need to get information out in time. This article establishes ideals of American journalistic research, points out conceptual confusions and social pressures that interfere with journalists performing at an "ideal" level, and describes norms in proposing, conducting, and reporting journalistic research. The lack of external accountability creates special problems for the credibility of journalistic research.