Research
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Ask librarians for help with research.
That's what they're there for.
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- Ask law librarians for assistance with legal research.2
Never use AI as a genuine source of information for critical topics like fish care due to hallucinations that can lead to harm.
People have killed their fish by asking ChatGPT questions.
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Stop researching when you can explain the topic clearly.
This indicates you have likely covered all key points and are ready to conclude.
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Use the reference list at the bottom of a Wikipedia article to find primary sources for research papers, citing those sources directly rather than Wikipedia itself.
Wikipedia collates sources similarly to how a librarian does.
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Use Quizlet to find quizzes and flashcards uploaded by others to aid your learning.
Odds are someone has researched exactly what you are looking for.
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Search for university PowerPoint lectures on difficult concepts using the operators 'site:.edu' and 'type:.ppt' or '.pptx'.
Different explanations in lecture slides may help you understand a concept that other materials did not clarify.
- Some presentations may be outdated, particularly in technology fields.
- Many online PowerPoints are poorly made undergraduate uploads rather than professional professor materials.
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Save online research sources as screenshots or copied text in a document rather than just saving links.
Links may get deleted or expire, causing loss of information; saving content ensures permanence and easier searching.
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Use Google Scholar instead of standard Google search when seeking legitimate scientific or academic information.
Standard Google is about making money, not providing the best results for learning.
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Do not equate casual Google searches with rigorous, peer-reviewed PhD-level research if you are not a subject matter expert.
Scientific journalism is often written by people incentivized to get attention who lack scientific backgrounds, and studies on peer review practices often yield negative results regarding reliability.
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Use quotation marks around exact phrases in search engines to find hidden documents like recycled tests.
Teachers often copy existing tests because people are inherently lazy.
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Look for book recommendations and reviews instead of relying solely on lecture notes to understand complex subjects.
Lecture notes often contain only bullet points and are not very helpful for deep understanding.
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Focus on peer-reviewed publications over non-reviewed PDFs, regardless of format.
Non-reviewed articles can lead to pseudoscience; a peer-reviewed article is better even if less accessible.
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Follow your instructor's rules on citations to avoid losing points, rather than arguing that Wikipedia is acceptable.
It is unlikely you will win such an argument.
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Be skeptical of sensationalist headlines claiming 'first ever' discoveries, as they may ignore prior occurrences.
Headlines may claim an event is unprecedented when similar events happen regularly but go unreported or unpublished.
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Search for 'lecture notes' along with a topic to find structured study materials from other universities.
This approach saved one person and helped them get additional information, yielding better material than general searches.
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Consult the Wikipedia 'List of Common Misconceptions' to correct educational gaps or find interesting facts.
The list is detailed and easy to navigate.
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Search both government and educational domains simultaneously by using 'site:gov | site:edu' with spaces around the vertical bar.
The site operator requires spaces around the vertical bar to function correctly for multiple domains.
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Paraphrase information from Wikipedia and cite the original sources listed in the article instead of citing Wikipedia directly.
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