Richard Milner has co-authored and contributed to numerous government publications with the U.S. Geological Survey. His employment with the agency offered opportunities to visit ancient Native American sites and apply scientific methods of investigation in his research. One of his specific interests is the origins meanings of the names, and histories of Native American sites and geographic features. After more than a decade of research he self-published Northwest Florida Place Names of Indian Origin in 1997, and it has been referenced by other authors in their works. He often receives queries from scholars, archaeologists, and ethnologists researching Southeastern Native American history, and has reviewed pre-publication articles and books for other authors. As a member of the oldest continuous tribal community in Northwest Florida, he learned to speak and read much of the Creek/Seminole language to ensure accurate interpretations of the place names featured in the book.