Answer:
I would say that research usually applies to special topics or themes that require the truth to be told or the relevant fictional characters to be portrayed correctly for future work to be accepted.
Research won't provide the heart for a work of fiction, but it will provide the structural integrity of the writing so that it comes across as authentically realistic and dignified enough to take seriously.
But having good authenticity in realism is only one part of good writing; the actual “heart" of writing then comes from including values in the writing which the Creation embodies.
So the “heart" of writing comes from having it reflect some kind of values which the Creation's love and truth embody.
