• Lib: China bad
  • Actual leftist: It's not that simple and you're being lied to.
  • Lib: ok but China still bad
  • Actual leftist: Here are some sources to read up on.
  • Lib: ugh don't make me research, it's probably propaganda, and anyway, let me reiterate my point--China bad
  • a_blanqui_slate [none/use name, any]
    6·
    4 years ago

    I'm going to reiterate the notion of conducting meaningful 'research' by reading articles on the internet is farcical.

      • a_blanqui_slate [none/use name, any]
        1·
        4 years ago

        The reading isn't the problem. Anyone can read. That's not research though. Research is the synthesis of new knowledge from what you've read and learned yourself. That's the tricky bit. The concluding and critical engagement.

        • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Research is the synthesis of new knowledge from what you’ve read and learned yourself.

          Using this definition, there's no reason to criticize "reading articles on the internet," because reading is the starting point.

          But this definition isn't a good one, anyway, as research often involves nothing more than finding an authoritative source and processing what it has to say. If I'm researching how to fix the brakes on my bike I don't need to synthesize new knowledge -- I just need to learn enough about bike maintenance to locate a good source on brake repair, then go read that source.

          • a_blanqui_slate [none/use name, any]
            ·
            4 years ago

            there’s no reason to criticize “reading articles on the internet,”

            There is when that is taken to be research in of itself.

            But this definition isn’t a good one, anyway, as research often involves nothing more than finding an authoritative source and processing what it has to say

            Lot of heavy lifting being done by 'processing' there, ignoring what it means for a source to be 'authoritative'.

            If I’m researching how to fix the brakes on my bike I don’t need to synthesize new knowledge

            Yes you absolutely do. I can and have read all about baking a certain type of loaf or fixing the sagging brake cable on my bike, but is not accurate to say I know how to fix it, because the application of what I read did not lead to a fixed brake cable.

            When you read a source on subject matter, it's important to not confuse the knowledge of "what a source has to say about the subject matter" with "knowledge of the subject matter itself." This point totally uncontroversial when it comes to calling out mainstream US reporting but is apparently anathema when applied to anything else.