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I've noticed that, when debating a subject, many people perform web searches for their topic and then provide links to studies... but never bother to fact check or sometimes to even read the links they're providing. A couple examples:

  • I was just in a conversation on this site where someone cited a "study" that had 11 sources, and every one of the sources was either misrepresented or was of very little value.

  • I once had a debate about car insurance rates, and someone linked a news article whose headline was something like "DEBUNKED MYTH ABOUT"... but the 4th paragraph of the article explicitly stated that the "myth" they were debunking was real, and the entire article was simply pointing out exceptions to the observable trend.

  • I've seen another person linking articles on this site that literally performed a Google search, and started linking every result from the top page.

My question is: How many of us read and fact check studies that we cite in a debate?

For my part, I most often "skim", but whenever possible I read the article/study, and check their cited sources.

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#debunking #myths #facts
tkcoy 6 Mar 12
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Level 8

I at least check to make sure I'm sharing correct information.

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Level 8

I was just talking to my daughter today, as always consider the source,for example I look for nih in the address. It's easy to get swamped. I'd have to check any of the above depending, some sources are obvious time wasters.

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Level 8

Interesting.. I’m old school, I go by what’s stored in my head. Because, it’s what I act on on a daily basis. Can you imagine going through life feeling compelled to ‘search,’ or ‘fact check’ every decision you make?

Example: Terry Gross, Fresh Air - kickbutt expert on ..whatever. OK - commit this to memory ..thinks I! Later ‘debate’ or responce around here; dig for links or online conformation …or go with what I know?

“Can you back that up?” “Can you provide a link?” Fuck you - learn it yourself … I’ve not skipped thousands of sitcoms or ball games watching or listening to news sources I trust for no reason..

Recently asked some blowhard around here about an asinine remark; response: “search it” … I did, and the blowhard was totally wrong.. What I’d like to have said was - if you can’t explain it, don’t state it.

Varn Level 8 Mar 12, 2019
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@tkcoy Agreed … and had me thinking yesterday.. Some day, instead of giving our personal, if hard-learned opinions, might we simply sic our preferred search-algorithms on the media that leads to the links that promote our biases..? We may never have to come up with our own opinion again 😉

I do the same,I'm always reading. I try to dig up my sources whenever discussing a difference of opinion. Maybe it's because you're a guy and I'm not but people never take me at my word. I ALWAYS have to back it up with numbers/articles/what have you.
1

Level 8

Like this?

Carin Level 8 Mar 12, 2019
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