Research or simple google function...

I am so sick of reading about how people are now 'researching' there way through forums like this and others....

At one time I was so proud to hear about my ability to research a subject and then bring a cohesive thread to the public forum about my findings...

That was then and this is now.

It is a blatant insult to those who dedicate their lives to certain subjects and leave no stone unturned with their research and to call what they do the same as someone who goes online and looks something up, never to enter a Library most likely, and then uses Youtube as a backing along with various other searches to solidify their discovery.

Research is a profound and dedicated science, not some abstract looking into and in essence stealing others hard work and dedication to garner respect and accolades to an online audience.

Anyone can author a thread about their findings based on others hard work and lifetimes of dedication, but to call looking stuff up online your research, is just plain ridiculous and creating a desensitization to the real educated professionals working in specific fields of study.

reply to post by antar


All research is done by standing on the shoulders of those who came before you, the problem comes with not properly sourcing or crediting the stuff.

You aren't honestly suggesting that all of us "stop" what we are doing because it might require knowledge someone else beat us to discovering?

If that is the case, then you should stop all your "research" immediately because accorinding to you I shouldn't learn from it, I should have to start at square 1.

And wait, aren't you the same OP who just today posted a thread complaining about people posting threads based on links from your thread?

I really hope not, because if I were you, I'd be feeling awful silly right about now

Ok this may get thrown into BTS and the rant forum but I just wanted to find out from members why it is that some of us create threads and then watch within minutes new threads being created off of our links from the threads?

ATS Thread

no, it was totally you.

And then, in another thread you ask this:

Does anyone have some interesting facts or links to facts on Hemingway that can help my son not to find Hemingway the most boring subject matter to date?

ATS Thread

So you hate when people take links from your thread and create other threads, links which probably lead to someone elses's research. Then you complain that people are researching by reading research others have done (that's how you research) and then you open a thread asking for people to post research so you don't have to do the research?

Seriously, what is this game, just trying to pad your thread counts?

I read certain thread starters here who usually work in a specific field that I always look out for because I know that they do indeed spend the majority of their time on a given subject which interests me and have taught me so much through their hard work and dedication. Some of the stuff is so far over my head that the best I can do is keep my mouth shut unless i do have something to add and instead just S@F their thread.

Those are not the ones I started this thread about, but recently in the past year I have read so many people making comments to thread starters about their research when in fact the stuff they brought forward were the first findings on a general search engine! Couple that with some nifty pictures from google images, a youtube video or so and Whalla! A mega thread begins and the Op gets to hear how much respect everyone has for their "Research".

Research and Looking something up are worlds and years apart.

reply to post by antar

Research and Looking something up are worlds and years apart.

no, actually, research would be the name given to the task of "looking something up". There is no need to reinvent the wheel.

I get it now, though, you are just arguing semantics.

Those are not the ones I started this thread about, but recently in the past year I have read so many people making comments to thread starters about their research when in fact the stuff they brought forward were the first findings on a general search engine! Couple that with some nifty pictures from google images, a youtube video or so and Whalla! A mega thread begins and the Op gets to hear how much respect everyone has for their "Research".

See, you aren't making any sense, that paragraph perfectly describes the acts of "researching"

Step 1. Identify what you are researching
Step 2. Identify already available sources of information
Step 3. When all readily available informational sources are exhausted, manual research

I think your problem lies with the fact that people are applauding those posters ability to research from the internet, and not applauding your real, or perceived, hardships in your manual labor research methods.

If I want to learn about a 4 stroke engine, I'm going to google it, and get some basic information, i'm not going to start with "how does combustion work" or "how to turn iron into steel".

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


I do not feel silly at all and believe me I have had pie in my face more times than I can count here.

I am on a rant today you could say and just clearing my grievances in public forum to clear the dead space in my head from the general irkiness I am getting each time I come onto the forum.

I have never been a big complainer here or anywhere but there are things I need to air, not to worry everything I Op sooner than later falls to the bottom of the pile.

Today I air my thoughts and opinions which tend to keep me from being my creative best on this forum and in real life. I am not a flyby member, and until the day they kick me off I am here to stay so it is only natural for me say what I have to say and then drop the subject, anyone who cares about what I think, feel and write will read, may not post but read and thats all I can do.

You dont have to be onto me ok?

reply to post by antar

Today I air my thoughts and opinions which tend to keep me from being my creative best on this forum and in real life.

Nah see that's your problem, you shouldn't be worried about posting stuff on here, and you really shouldn't care how other people go about their "research". If you have something important to say, people will listen. If you are one of the few here who take the time to post up good research (including stuff you've done yourself) in a meaningful way, people will always respond.

the difference between someone who actually "researched" something, and those who merely "googled" it, comes down to understanding.

I can explain something using information I just found via a search, but I probably don't fully understand it.

Euww, I just hate it when I read halfarse work by someone who claims they got the info from their research when in fact it was just looking stuff up, there is a HUGE difference my friend.

Tell it those who are dedicated to a specific field of STUDY who are the foremost researchers in an applied field that the little twerps who use their information have now become researchers too!

Now EVERYONE is a researcher! No.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject just let me know when you truly understand what I am trying to say here because it really does irk me to read people who use the term Research so loosely, it is like a slap in the face to those I KNOW spend their lives in a specific field and then have the courtesy to bring it down into lamans terms for people like myself to understand, there are some of the most brilliant minds here on ATS who do share quantum gems based on their personal findings and also in collaboration with other researchers too as you have stated but their end product and others are worlds apart.

I am not one of those as stated in the Op, I 'thought' what I was doing was research as you clearly pointed out but at some point I realized that how I view and respect what I term real researchers and people who just get info off the www and then move on like a hyperactive child are scattered at best and not researchers.

They are more like golddiggers.

reply to post by antar


Ah better include myself in that category. I am jumping from topic to topic and forum to forum at times even if I do have my personal favorites. I always wondered how a scientist can study the atom and stick with a tiny window of expertise when what they learn from their specialized field could take them, lead them a million miles away from the atom.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Thank you I do appreciate those comments, this thread really is less about me other than the fact that for my personal use the word Research has been filtered out to read more like, "In my searches I have noted" or some other way of identifying my findings other than to call looking about being considered research.

Now if I do something which takes me not only around the simple search engines like Yahoo, google and the like, and I really do put together a body of evidence based on known discoveries and facts and it is not just a whimsical idea, then yes I would still consider it to be research.

However the word has become so over used that I have yet to call anything I have put together research to date. I will tell you that I had several years ago a well noted Dr. from my area call me a researcher, this was probably burning in the back of my mind from that time forward but it also alerted me to find the key word while reading others threads here and elsewhere and I did come to the point where I really did not want to become categorized with many who claim to be armchair researchers.

I may in fact be wrong when it comes to semantics as you rightfully pointed out but I suspect that my intuition has taken this to a point of no return for me and I will continue to be aware of how this word is being used and the implied implications of those who claim to be researchers from simple internet searches which imo is not the same.

Was the DR. placating me? I do not know but I knew not to comment or give an answer to the question when he asked me. In my defense he was also a close friend of my Mothers at one time. The Dr has been known to respect my ideas and approaches to simple medical matters and has gone to bat for me in the past as well.

Hi, antar, got a couple of non-irky questions for you. I used to do research, but I don't do that kind of research here. I've never called myself a researcher, but I can understand your frustration. What should I call myself or the looking up that I do? Am I a looker? I'll accept anything.

Second question, are there three or four areas that interest you in particular? What are they?

reply to post by antar

Anyone can author a thread about their findings based on others hard work and lifetimes of dedication, but to call looking stuff up online your research, is just plain ridiculous and creating a desensitization to the real educated professionals working in specific fields of study.

Let me see if I get you straight. What you mean is people who do not post their research, but just input links pointing to other's research on the subject matter?
If that is what you mean, I agree. I consider myself a good researcher, and hate it when I run into people who don't take time, or energy to learn for themselves the truth of the matter.

Originally posted by charles1952
Hi, antar, got a couple of non-irky questions for you. I used to do research, but I don't do that kind of research here. I've never called myself a researcher, but I can understand your frustration. What should I call myself or the looking up that I do? Am I a looker? I'll accept anything.

Second question, are there three or four areas that interest you in particular? What are they?

Hehe, your post gave me a good chuckle. I needed that. Sometimes a good belly laugh is better than Valium.

A goodlooker? lol I do not know, but there is a huge difference. What has bothered me is that millions of bloggers and forum posters have suddenly become self professed 'researchers' when in fact it is a highly respected profession not a transient point of hit and run interest.

When everyone calls a simple google search, research, add a youtube video and they become expert level researcher, it brings real research down to a level which is unfair and turns real into fake. At some point and you can mark my word on this, at some point to be considered a 'researcher' will be as popular as being called a nutjob.

Informationists perhaps, interested reader, student of life, alternative composer, whatever, but not expert and not researcher.

As for my interests, online and in forums I love anything Alien/UFO first, Space and technology, Human nature, Holistic and Natural medicine, Farm/Garden Organic of course, Disease and Pandemics, Politics and current events. There are more but these are my favorites.

reply to post by autowrench


Right I think you do get it.

As a researcher it takes far more than an interest in a subject and a quick google search. Most of the seasoned members could if they wanted to create huge threads based on tons of links in a matter of minutes and the end result may look to some like something that took days, weeks even months to compile.

It is concerning the way people use the word research and it is going to cause that word to lose credibility one day soon. Online researcher or looking into are worlds apart from truly plunging oneself into a certain subject and leaving no stone unturned, and finally arriving at ones own opinions.

reply to post by charles1952


May I ask what kind of research you did and if it was by choice or something you were hired to work on? Also was your study limited to online sources, free online sources?

reply to post by antar

Dear antar,

Thank you for your time and your kindness. Further, I appreciate your fight for the integrity of words. I often hear about a changing or living language, but as we have learned, not all change is good. If research means copying the first article that a search engine spits up, we'll have to find a new term for real research. Right now, I think its replacement may be "lab tech."

My research life was quite boring, very little computer work was done way back in those days. I'd just hitch my mule up at the library and spend a hot afternoon with Slim and the boys...... Wait a minute, I'm drifting.

My research was legal, all books and papers. Computer use was seen as a shortcut which weakened skills, or was too expensive to justify.

The rest of my research was military, Designing the testing of, and analyzing data for, tanks under consideration.

I think I'll drift down to the saloon with Slim and the boys and let the pretty little fillies know that a real smart guy thinks I'm a looker.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by antar


I have to agree with you. I did most of my own research on religion and such when I was flat on my back, with not a thing to do but read, read, read. I still have my notes from that time, and often refer to them. I also have collected a rather large amount of bookmarks. I use XMarks in case something happens, or is case I want to try a different Linux Distro. Reading has become a lost art, I'm afraid.

reply to post by autowrench


OMG, I totally understand, hope you are much better now?

As for 'notes' oh boy, I too have had suitcases of info just in case power ever goes down, I can still do what I can from my little location on the planet. It is also a tremendous way to preserve information that sometimes gets whitewashed on what is now the ever expanding internet webworld. And to me that is a very important point.

I have also done footnotes on radio programs from back before the internet was a household tool and research was done by ordering books, going to listen to speakers and simply writing the little blurbs we still catch on TV.

Admittedly I have to travel less, participate in public speaking forums and gatherings and find the majority of my info on the internet but feel really limited in being first to find it. Most of the time the most interesting subjects have 10,000 links and are run into the ground before I even discover them, and yes have somehow missed because I was caught up in the latest doom and gloom prophecy or downright hoax.

For me officially, when I put together quick and often emotionally based threads from current events, it is never what I consider research but reading discoveries.