Asklemmy

I was taught in school how to use the library catalog. It was considered essential, for success in life, at the time.

I actually do know how to use Dewey Decimal, if I haven't forgotten.

In these modern times, there's generally a PC near the information desk, with the browser home page set to a library catalog search tool, specific to that library.

And as someone else mentioned, we can ask the librarian for help, when we don't find what we need. I actually shortcut the process and ask for a quick lesson in how to use the search, if I'm feeling uncertain.

Ask the librarian nicely and they'll probably be able to point you in the right direction. Cataloguing information is kind of their thing, and helping people get access to that information is why many of them join the profession.

Just sit at the library for a while, sit near the shelf that has the topic you're interested in and grab a few books at a time and go through them to see if any seem like the right book

"Don't you know the Dewey decimal system?"

Sorry, stupid reference. In seriousness though, type in a topic into your library's search and start browsing, check out a few that seem useful.

I'm an academic and I find my University's library useful for finding knowledge on a new topic. If an introductory textbook exists on the subject, can be a good starting point.

For Most hobbies though, youtube is a great resource. I've gotten into woodworking and fishing, and youtube is a superb resource for information.

Finding a trustworthy source is the hardest part. I generally avoid anyone speaking too loudly of the subject. Someone who’s knowledgeable and confident, most times, can present calmly with context that’s accessible to most people.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a good example. He’s a good place to start for a broad range of topics. Then if I want more details I can dig deeper on my own. A lot of times, his commentary requires digging deeper because he speaks too broadly.

I always check the source of a report or article; if there is no source, I don’t trust it. The source is usually a good place to ‘bookmark’ for further research.

Edit: a few days later and I’ve come across the perfect example. Here Tyson explains “the tide doesn’t come in and out”. What I think he should more clearly say is there’s no “high tide” and “low tide”. To me, and I could be an idiot, I thought he was going to explain the action of the waves coming in and out at the cost line every 30 seconds or so. It’s not that he’s wrong but sometimes his choice of words isn’t super on point. Here’s more info about Tidal Range https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/tides.html

I highly disagree with looking for the widest set of opinions. Some opinions are stupid and/or baseless and just muddy the conversation (that’s part of how you get screaming talking heads on cable news shows).

Personally I look for those with expertise who speak to their expertise. Just because someone has an advanced degree in one field does not mean their opinions in other fields are worth listening to. Also, I do a gut check. If is smells like BS, such as unfounded blanket statements or it seems like they’re pushing/selling something, I look into their qualifications a bit more or find someone else.

Go with people who are willing to use their real name, a lot of times it'll be in the channel description, or sometimes in a channel trailer or intro video. Sometimes in an interview some other outlet/creator has done on the content creator. Then google that real name and check their work history and education credentials. You can usually find a LinkedIn. If they're a proper academic, their university will usually have a brief page on them on the official university website. If they're an alumni, they can sometimes be found in an alumni list, various class lists, or publicly accessible projects they worked on, though not always. Work history often cannot be as easily verified, but sometimes can be if you dig a little. Depends on field.

It's not too different from what you'd do if you wanted to hire someone to work for you in a small business or something.

Once you have a significant knowledge base yourself, you can start to use the sniff test, though that's always far from perfect. Less time consuming though.

Youtube comments can be strangely helpful here, sometimes. If there's a lot of "akshually" comments on every video, it may be a sign the youtuber is full of it. Not always true, but anything helps. Can also look up the youtuber's credentials as well.

I'm going to think about that and get back to you. I think it's mostly intuitive, based on many years of experience, but I'm not sure at this point.

I also have to mention that I was half joking. I don't use YT all that much for my profession. I would, but it's just not entirely relevant.

Curious about this one too

I am not the person you are replying to.

I read a lot of papers and it is hard if you don't have background knowledge of the subject. If it's something I am really interested in, then I will dive deep, if it's not I will probably let it go when I get to the point where I no longer grasp what's being said.