When we watch the news or read an article, they are trying to bring us up to date on current events often in a matter of minutes or at most a couple pages. This often means that events are being severely oversimplified and understated thanks to limited time/space. When you add in the fact that many news sources have at least some level of bias, the facts that they omit may be even more important than what they state in an article. But when we want to have a serious discussion on these topics, it's very important that we not overlook the details that may have been very important but overlooked or not stated.
So, how do you do proper research?
On the web: One of the best ways to know that the website you are visiting is a good one is by the top level domain name (the .com, .org, .edu, etc.) Generally a .com website is not going to be very reliable. In college, we weren't allowed to use .com websites at all in research. Period. .edu websites are often very reliable, and .gov tends to be reliable as well. .org can be a little problematic. All .org means is that the site is run by an organization, often a non-profit, sometimes a business. Non-profits are quite often biased so the information on them can be as well.
Books: People don't know how to find books anymore. Look for non-fiction. Go talk to your librarian. If a book you're interested in isn't available at your library, a lot of libraries participate in inter-library loans now days so they can find and obtain a book for you even if they don't have a copy. Books are still an amazing source of information. And 200-300 pages is a heck of a lot more than two paragraphs. If you can't read a few books to become more aware of the facts and complexities of an issue, you probably shouldn't be discussing it in any serious context.
Primary sources: This is the hardest. Primary sources are sources that are directly involved in the information you are trying to obtain. Original texts if you're researching scripture. Native people if you are talking about a specific culture. Soldiers, weapons, visiting the area if you are talking about war. Etc. The average person doesn't have access to primary sources, but they are the absolute best source of information. Being there, having experience, seeing real artifacts. The next closest things are memoirs and autobiographies.
Even these sources can hold basic human bias. The moment you receive information you perceive it through the context of your experiences. Being a good researcher means you make an effort to overcome your personal bias to see the truth behind an issue. A complex, confusing, and powerful truth that goes far beyond how any one person, or group of people sees the world.
Proper research, with a concerted effort to overcome bias, is essential to any serious discussion. Without proper research, any conclusion drawn are going to be inaccurate and therefore the whole discussion is deemed somewhat useless.
So, the purpose of this thread. If, in the pursuit of a topic, you want help specifically with finding resources feel free to come here and ask for help. If you've had lots of experience with research (and I know we have at least a few members with a heck of lot more than I have) feel free to share advice.
So, how do you do proper research?
On the web: One of the best ways to know that the website you are visiting is a good one is by the top level domain name (the .com, .org, .edu, etc.) Generally a .com website is not going to be very reliable. In college, we weren't allowed to use .com websites at all in research. Period. .edu websites are often very reliable, and .gov tends to be reliable as well. .org can be a little problematic. All .org means is that the site is run by an organization, often a non-profit, sometimes a business. Non-profits are quite often biased so the information on them can be as well.
Books: People don't know how to find books anymore. Look for non-fiction. Go talk to your librarian. If a book you're interested in isn't available at your library, a lot of libraries participate in inter-library loans now days so they can find and obtain a book for you even if they don't have a copy. Books are still an amazing source of information. And 200-300 pages is a heck of a lot more than two paragraphs. If you can't read a few books to become more aware of the facts and complexities of an issue, you probably shouldn't be discussing it in any serious context.
Primary sources: This is the hardest. Primary sources are sources that are directly involved in the information you are trying to obtain. Original texts if you're researching scripture. Native people if you are talking about a specific culture. Soldiers, weapons, visiting the area if you are talking about war. Etc. The average person doesn't have access to primary sources, but they are the absolute best source of information. Being there, having experience, seeing real artifacts. The next closest things are memoirs and autobiographies.
Even these sources can hold basic human bias. The moment you receive information you perceive it through the context of your experiences. Being a good researcher means you make an effort to overcome your personal bias to see the truth behind an issue. A complex, confusing, and powerful truth that goes far beyond how any one person, or group of people sees the world.
Proper research, with a concerted effort to overcome bias, is essential to any serious discussion. Without proper research, any conclusion drawn are going to be inaccurate and therefore the whole discussion is deemed somewhat useless.
So, the purpose of this thread. If, in the pursuit of a topic, you want help specifically with finding resources feel free to come here and ask for help. If you've had lots of experience with research (and I know we have at least a few members with a heck of lot more than I have) feel free to share advice.
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