History Main / ItsForABook

* Averted in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3124841/2/The-New-and-Improved-Hermione-Granger The New and Improved Hermione Granger]]'' when Hermione claims she needs to buy Veritaserum ingredients for her NEWT Potions project, only to be told that NEWT Potions doesn't teach how to make Veritaserum, by order of the Ministry.

* On ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Chandler leaves Ross's baby on the bus and has to call the Transportation Department to get it back. Rather than admit he left the baby behind, however, he tells the operator it's for his book. "Yes, [[RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear that would be a stupid character.]]"
* On ''Series/{{Journeyman}}'', Dan calls a physics professor to ask about TimeTravel, saying it's for a book he's writing. The professor obviously knew more about Dan's predicament than he was letting on but the series was canceled before it was revealed.
* On ''Series/{{Bruiser}}'', there was a running-gag sketch where a rather high-strung man (played by Robert Webb) came into shops asking less-than-innocent questions about [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEyUeCyXl1Q what sort of, say, poisons you'd have, for rats, a large rat, a woman-sized rat, say....]]

* ''Series/VeronicaMars''
** Veronica used "it's an assignment for health class" (or some variant thereof) to cover all kinds of activities, including collecting a DNA sample from her dad. Somewhat justified in that she's a good actress and usually plans out her requests beforehand instead of making them up on the spot.
** The series actually ''inverts'' it in the third season. The final assignment from Veronica's former FBI agent criminology professor? A paper on how you'd commit the perfect murder. When the Dean ends up dead in a manner that copies elements from Veronica's paper, she is seriously wigged.
* One episode of the show ''Cheaters'' featured a man who used this excuse after being caught with a hooker.
* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'':
** The title character once claimed that he needed a book for "homework"... and appears to be believed, despite this being both illogical and anachronistic ([[RuleOfFunny though also rather amusing]]).
** It's {{inverted}} in a later episode, after Merlin gives Arthur some startlingly good advice, and on being asked how he's so knowledgeable, tells him "I read a book."

* ''Series/OdysseyFive''. The protagonists consult a cantankerous sci-fi writer (an obvious Creator/HarlanEllison expy) on the events of the series, claiming it's for a sci-fi novel. He criticizes the numerous scientific errors in statements [[SelfDeprecation clearly based on internet fan criticism of the pilot episode]].

* Referenced in ''Series/PeepShow'', when Jeremy is attending an interview for a cleaning job and tries to secure the position by claiming to find cleaning out plug-holes "interesting" (he desperately wants the job so he can stalk his ex-girlfriend). The interviewer seems baffled as to why ''anyone'' would seem so enthusiastic about cleaning, and asks if Jeremy is researching for a novel or something. Not wanting to seem over-qualified, Jeremy replies: "What's a novel?"
* Used by the villains in the episode "Dirty Bomb" of ''{{Series/Numb3rs}}''. They contacted a researcher for a nuclear company for information about a particular radioactive isotope, claiming they were doing research for a movie script. Because the series takes place in LA, the researcher didn't give it much thought until she saw an internal Department Of Energy alert warning that three caskets of the isotope had been stolen, suddenly providing a very different reason why some random citizens would have been looking for information on how to handle it. Her cooperation was a key component in finding the identities of the criminals.

* Face and Triple A used this tactic to obtain some ridiculous props (such as a small airplane) and funding from the Mexican Film Bureau in an episode of ''Series/TheATeam''.
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' has this gem from fictional presidential candidate Tim Calhoun: "I have touched many pages in my life... because I am a voracious reader... of child pornography... studies. Illustrated studies."

* On ''Series/MrAndMrsMurder'' Charlie and Nicola pass off their interest in the dose at which ketamine becomes fatal as being for a book.

* On ''Series/ThirtyRock'', Liz Lemon allows someone to use her personal computer, adding "Okay, but if you look at my internet history, I'm researching a movie about two male centaurs kissing."
* On an episode of ''Series/WorldsWorstTenants'', a landlord was caught peeping through spy cameras he'd installed in female tenants' bathrooms. When he was busted for it on camera, he claimed (out of desperation) that it was this trope. Unsurprisingly, nobody fell for it.
* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Dean and Sam have sometimes gotten information by pretending to be journalists, though have stopped doing it in favor just [[ImpersonatingAnOfficer pretending to be FBI agents]].
* In ''Series/TheSentinel'', Blair is supposedly following Jim around because he's doing a dissertation on the applications of social anthropology to police work.

* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', when Skyler thinks that Walt is smoking pot, she asks Marie about how could it affect someone, claiming that it's for a short story she's writing. Marie doesn't fall for it, but she thinks it's Walt Jr. who is smoking pot.

* In one episode of ''Radio/CarTalk'', one of the calls was from a novelist asking the hosts for advice on how a heroine could temporarily disable the villains' car such that she could later put it back together. Presumably she was telling the truth, since it's not clear why anyone would need that information in real life, at least not with enough advance notice to call in to a talk show.

* It's been commented that the internet search history for any good, detail-oriented GameMaster, especially ones running games like TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}} or ''TabletopGame/TheWorldOfDarkness'', should instantly land said GameMasters on government watch lists.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fahrenheit}}'', Lucas claims to be a reporter writing a story about [[spoiler:Mayan antiques and their relation to ritual sacrifice]] to get information out of a visiting expert. It's seen through almost instantly, though.
* In ''VideoGame/TheDarksideDetective'', [=McQueen=] has watched the movie ''Film/{{Ghost|1990}}'' a ''lot'', which he insists was research for professional reasons.
* In ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'', in the 7th-chapter murder mystery, this trope is inverted, with one of the suspects being a suspect in part because he writes murder mysteries (he's [[JustForPun a penguin called Herringway]]).
* ''VideoGame/CragneManor'': If you ask Bethany why she has the "[[EroticLiterature lion sex book]]", she tells you it might give her a hint as to the history of the author's disappearance, even though she feels it's unlikely. But she does admit that the lion sex is well-written. If you read it, too, you can have a conversation with her about it.

* ''Webcomic/IWantToBeACuteAnimeGirl'': Delilah, worried about Cheryl's situation with trying to come out as trans, asks her friends a hypothetical question about how they'd react if she said she wanted to be a boy. When confronted about it, she responds with this as she doesn't want to out Cheryl to them.

* ''Roleplay/BehindTheVeil'' has an interesting version combined with a cover-up; to hide the fact that a wererat was seen bursting through several university walls and the side of a trailer (not to mention running over any student in the way), the Technocracy ended up creating an elaborate cover-up to pass it off as a marketing stunt gone wrong for an upcoming film. Then again the story was boosted with magic specifically to kill the idea that it was an actual wererat.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' episode "Solar System Bake-Off", Mitchell sneaks into Jet's house to gather info on [[LoveInterest Mindy]]'s baking contest entry. He writes down some information in his notebook. When Sydney asks what he's writing in there, Mitchell says its for a cookbook. [[BlatantLies Or a blog]]. Or webisodes.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MonkeyDust'', the Paedofinder General is in one episode caught with an extremely large amount of child pornography on his own computer. He brushes it off as being "for research".

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* In ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', Syaoran uses this excuse in one of the worlds to gather information of legends. He got the idea from his father, an archeologist, who used it all the time.

'''Batman:''' I just made your article more interesting.\\

* In ''Fanfic/{{Intercom}}'', Riley accidentally lets her knowledge of the Mind World slip but covers it up by saying it's a school project on psychology she's working on.
* ''Fanfic/ProjectSunflower'' (a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic): When Twilight tries to find out how Sunflower could have been separated from the magic field, she talks to her magical biology professor, claiming to be writing a book.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12562072/22/Harry-Potter-and-the-Daft-Morons Harry Potter and the Daft Morons]]'' Harry needs information on certain Muggle items and manages to convince one over-suspicious PR employee that he's writing a book on the history of the item in question.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12906599/27/A-Learning-Experience A Learning Experience]]'' Hermione calls Bilbury Village Stores and asks which local families have been receiving goods from "fancy London shops," on the pretext of it being for a geography assignment.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13596628/10/The-Boy-Who-Lived-The-Brightest-Witch-and-The-Boy-Who-Wasn-t The Boy Who Lived, The Brightest Witch and The Boy Who Wasn't]]'' Harry, Hermione and Neville go to the Hogshead to ask ex-Professor Kettleburn about the Black Lake merfolk before the Second Task.
-->'''Neville:''' Are you sure we're allowed to be in here?\\
'''Hermmione:''' No, but the Goblin Rebellion of 1612 was based out of this inn. If anything, we'll say we were just doing research for Binns' essay.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/ThrowMommaFromTheTrain'': Pinsky's book is called ''100 Women I'd Like to Pork''. His excuse for "whacking material"? "It's a coffee table book."

* Part of the plot of ''Film/BasicInstinct'' is that author/suspect Catherine Tramell wrote a book with a murder that matched a real one with chilling accuracy; a second murder then occurs that matches one from a second Tramell book.
* Subverted in Kevin Smith's ''Film/{{Mallrats}}'', where there is a high-school-aged character who has sex with older men (and films it) for a book she is writing. The book is actually published and becomes a best seller.

* In TheMovie of ''Theatre/OnTheTown'', Claire kissing Ozzie claims "it's for research". Hildy says, "Dr. Kinsey, I presume?"
* Used by the main character in ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'', who approaches an airline executive on the pretense of writing a report for school, and in the course of the conversation learns enough pilot jargon to bluff his way through a conversation with actual pilots when riding along in the jump seat.

* Gandalf in ''Film/TheHobbit'' gives a variation of this as his initial explanation for why they needed the map to be translated by Elrond.

* ''Film/JojoRabbit'': When Imaginary Hitler calls Jojo out for spending so much time with Elsa, the latter claims it's for his book about how to recognize a jew. He does the same schtick at the swimming hall when Klenzendorf gets suspicious of him showing interest in the topic of jews.
* Played with in ''Film/BirdBox''. Charlie comes up with a theory on what the monsters are, and when it's implied he's just an internet conspiracy theorist he admits it's research he did for a post-apocalyptic novel he intended to write. Later when Charlie is [[GotVolunteered 'volunteered']] to go on a supply run, it's suggested he think of it as research for his novel.
* Inverted in ''Film/Saw3D'', where, after seeing people explaining their own experiences in Jigsaw traps, Bobby uses them to make up his own experience as the theme for a book, down to scarring his own pectorals like the scars of said victims to make it seem more real. The success of the book kickstarts the film's main game, where Bobby is put in an actual trial by Hoffman long after Jigsaw took notice of him.

* In P.D. James's ''Literature/OriginalSin'', the villain finds out on whom he needs to take revenge for things that happened decades ago, by pretending he's doing research for a novel called ''Original Sin''.
* In the Creator/StephenKing short story [[Literature/NightmaresAndDreamscapes "Dolan's Cadillac"]], Robinson claims that he's writing a SciFi story and asks someone how much dirt the characters would have to excavate in order to trap the alien's vehicle. The person who gives Robinson this information comments something to the effect of "It's funny, the dimensions of that vehicle are almost exactly the same as a Cadillac."
** King himself had to ask his brother how he'd go about burying a Cadillac and got extensive details (even down to how to hotwire a digger). Of course, King had spent years preparing the alibi of being a best-selling writer by this point. He also claimed (in the author's notes of ''Nightmares & Dreamscapes'', in which this story appears) that details of the crime were changed in the story so that it [[AndSomeOtherStuff wouldn't actually work]], just in case anyone reading it got ideas.
** Another King example can be found in ''Literature/TheDarkHalf'', where protagonist Thad Beaumont uses this excuse when asking his coworker Rawlie [=DeLesseps=] if sparrows play a role in any kind of American folklore. He even lampshades that one of the benefits of being a professional writer is that you can always rely on this excuse if people want to know why you want certain information.
* Literature/LordPeterWimsey:
** The novel ''Strong Poison'' uses the inverted version: Harriet really is writing a murder mystery, and purchases arsenic to see how hard she should make it for her poisoner to get some. Then her ex-lover turns up dead of arsenic poisoning, for completely unrelated reasons, so naturally she's WronglyAccused of killing him.
** Before that, in the earlier novel ''Unnatural Death'', Lord Peter Wimsey bugs his friend, Home Office pathologist Sir James Lubbock, for the name of a PerfectPoison.
* In the novel ''Literature/{{Wilt}}'', by Creator/TomSharpe, Wilt claims he was researching murder methods which led up to people believing he murdered his wife.
* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy'', Johnny observes that it's amazing what grown-ups will let you do if you tell them that you're doing a project.
-->If Saddam Hussein had said he was doing a project on Kuwait, the Gulf War would never have happened.
* This trope even shows up in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. When Frodo and his companions arrive at the inn in Bree, they realize they're going to need a plausible explanation for their wandering out of the Shire -- so Frodo claims to be a historian who's thinking of writing a book about the relationship between the Shire and Bree. Two volumes later, as they're returning home through Bree, Frodo is asked if he's written his book yet. He says he's still getting his notes in order. He wasn't completely lying - like [[Literature/TheHobbit Bilbo before him]], Frodo [[ATrueSToryInMyUniverse recorded the story of the characters]] in the Red Book, which was then passed down through generations of hobbits.

* Jo actually does research poisons for her horror stories in ''Literature/LittleWomen'', and it's mentioned that she makes librarians suspicious.
* Creator/AgathaChristie:
** ''Literature/FiveLittlePigs'', Literature/HerculePoirot is asked to reinvestigate a murder that had happened sixteen years earlier. When speaking with some of the witnesses, he claims he is writing a book about famous murders in order to get them to provide written accounts of what they remember.
** In ''Literature/ThirdGirl'', author surrogate Ariadne Oliver claims to be researching how easy it is to follow someone when following a suspect on behalf of Poirot. She tells the suspect she's concluded it's quite difficult.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** Then there's ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', in which Tom Riddle (young Lord Voldemort) [[spoiler: learns about Horcruxes from a teacher this way]].
** Of course, it's pretty clear that [[spoiler: Slughorn knows on some level that Riddle's story is complete bull: asking for info on Horcruxes for "a project" would be akin to a 6th grader asking for information about anal broomstick rape "for homework"... but he plays along anyway because he doesn't want to think badly of or disappoint his star pupil]].
** And several books earlier, in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Hermione pulled the same trick to get [[TheDitz Professor Lockhart's]] permission to get the book with the directions on how to make Polyjuice Potion from the Restricted Section.
*** Ron points out how pointless it was considering Lockhart didn't even read what they were looking for.
* Inverted in one of the stories in Ken Hornsby's autobiography ''Is That The Library Speaking?'': the librarians become suspicious of a man who takes out books on poisons and legal defence, but it eventually turns out he's a mystery fiction author.

* In ''Literature/{{Lolita}}'' when Mrs. Haze is staying with Humbert Humbert and discovers his diary, he claims that it is actually a fictional account, and he was merely using their names for the characters. She doesn't buy it, but "fortunately" she gets [[LookBothWays hit by a truck]] before she can act on her discovery.
* This is toyed with in the [[ExtrudedBookProduct Gold Eagle]] series ''Track''. The main character, Dan Track, is a consultant to action writers on getting guns right and writing convincing combat. He is good at this because he owns a lot of guns and slaughters about a hundred guys per book (in justified shootouts, naturally).
* There's a ''Literature/NancyDrew'' book where a crook is using this as cover for casing peoples' houses.

* Elizabeth's weekend meetings with Jennifer for witchcraft training in ''Literature/JenniferHecateMacbethWilliamMcKinleyAndMeElizabeth'' is passed off to her family as a semester-long school project.

* ''Literature/FamilySkeletonMysteries'': In book 1, Georgia calls a former student of Joshua Tay University to ask for information about Allen Reece, another former student, under the pretense that it's for a journalism class assignment. [[spoiler: The information she gets confirms what she suspected: Sid ''is'' Allen.]]

* ''[[Literature/TheCurseOfTheBlueFigurine The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull]]'': During Johnny's trip to Vinalhaven Island, Maine, he and his friends stop in the local library to do research, trying to find something that'll lead them to the answers they need so they can find and rescue Professor Childermass. Father Higgins' excuse to the librarian, when he asks her for pamphlets, guidebooks, and pencil and paper to take notes with, is that he's writing a book on the Maine seacoast.
* In the novel of the noir ''InALonelyPlace'', this is the excuse [[spoiler: killer]] Dix Steele gives for asking the detective for details about the stranglings around the city.
* A variant in ''Literature/TheOverstory'': When police discover a true account that he wrote of events that involve committing serious crimes, Douglas claims he was just writing a novel.
* In the Creator/FrederickForsyth novel ''The Negotiator'', Quinn, the title character, wants a place where he can write down the events that have happened in the novel and send them to his FBI girlfriend, so he rents a cabin in Canada. Given the fact it's the middle of winter, the real estate agent is suspicious, until Quinn says he needs the peace and quiet to write a book, which the real estate agent accepts because, "[[SelfDeprecatingHumor People make allowances for writers, as they do for all lunatics]]."
* In ''Literature/TheDoorIntoSummer'' when Dan talks to Dr. Twitchell he claims to be doing research for a book called ''Unsung Geniuses''.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/OdysseyFive''. The protagonists consult a cantankerous sci-fi writer (an obvious Creator/HarlanEllison expy) on the events of the series, claiming it's for a sci-fi novel. He criticizes the numerous scientific errors in statements [[TakeThatUs clearly based on internet fan criticism of the pilot episode]].

* ''FanFic/ProjectSunflower'' (a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic): When Twilight tries to find out how Sunflower could have been separated from the magic field, she talks to her magical biology professor, claiming to be writing a book.

* In ''Series/{{The Sentinel}}'', Blair is supposedly following Jim around because he's doing a dissertation on the applications of social anthropology to police work.

* Ford Prefect is a field correspondent for the latest edition of Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy who rescues his Earth friend Arthur Dent before the Vogons destroy the Earth. When Ford and Arthur are captured aboard a Vogon ship and are taken to be cast off in space, Ford vehemently protests that they're trying to write a book.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* An unintentional variation in [[https://xkcd.com/576/ this]] Webcomic/{{xkcd}}, where a program to order random stuff online ends up selecting [[NoodleImplements a length of rubber hose, a ski mask, a bear trap, a map of the Pentagon, and lube]]. The program is then terminated to avoid triggering "every FBI watch list ever".
* Webcomic/IWantToBeACuteAnimeGirl: Delilah, worried about Cheryl's situation with trying to come out as trans, asks her friends a hypothetical question about how they'd react if she said she wanted to be a boy. When confronted about it, she responds with this as she doesn't want to out Cheryl to them.

* The reference desk on Wiki/TheOtherWiki sees "it's for a book"-type questions from time to time. Some are more believable than others.

* [[http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=66 Absolute Write]], a research web forum for writers allows writers to get answers to all kinds of very specific questions they need answered for their writing.

* [[http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=66 This]] research web forum for writers.

* In ''VideoGame/PaperMario'', in the 7th-chapter murder mystery, this trope is inverted, with one of the suspects being a suspect in part because he writes murder mysteries (he's [[JustForPun a penguin called Herringway]]).

* In the [[ComicBook/SupermanBrianMichaelBendis Brian Michael Bendis run of Superman,]] Daily Planet reporter Robinson Cloud, secretly also a supervillain, gets her hands on a chunk of Kryptonite as insurance in case Superman corners her. Clark Kent soon uses his X-Ray vision to spot it in her purse (becoming violently ill around her was a pretty big give-away) and asks Batman to swing by to steal it from her. When Batman "asks" her why she's carrying Kryptonite, she claims "It's for an article."

* In the [[ComicBook/Superman(BrianMichaelBendis) Brian Michael Bendis run of Superman,]] Daily Planet reporter Robinson Cloud, secretly also a supervillain, gets her hands on a chunk of Kryptonite as insurance in case Superman corners her. Clark Kent soon uses his X-Ray vision to spot it in her purse (becoming violently ill around her was a pretty big give-away) and asks Batman to swing by to steal it from her. When Batman "asks" her why she's carrying Kryptonite, she claims "It's for an article."

-->'''Goode:''' Can I have it back?\\
'''Batman:''' No.\\
'''Goode:''' You're keeping it?!\\

'''Goode:''' You're mugging me in an alley!

'''Goode:''' You're mugging me in an alley!\\
'''Batman:''' I just made your article more interesting.

''''Goode:''' You're mugging me in an alley!\\
'''Batman:''' I just made your article more interesting.\\

-->Goode: Can I have it back?\\
Batman: No.\\
Goode: You're keeping it?!\\
Batman: It can't be on the streets.\\
Goode: You're mugging me in an alley!\\
Batman: I just made your article more interesting.