system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: The concept of "doing your own research" is prone to bad understanding when you are a non-expert

This is NOT an argument on doing any research at all, I highly recommend people seek to learn things.  


Rather I am pointing out there is a very large potential for bad science when laymen tries to do research.  


I don't mean just youtube videos. I mean when a layman reads actual research they often make poor assumptions and conclusions.  


There are two major issues when a layman does personal research  


First is scientific literacy, you must know what the terms mean, how to read the research paper, check credibility ect.  


Secondly an understanding of the subject matter. Even if you are well versed in scientific literacy, not understanding the subject matter leads to vastly different conclusions. A foundation in the subject must be needed.

This is how we end up with non-experts taking a paper on vaccine and concluding that it causes autism.  


This isn't to say doing research is bad, just that people need to be wary. If you, a non-expert reach a conclusion that contradicts the consensus of millions of experts, you probably need to do some self-evaluation.
gpt
Are we assuming an "expert" Is void of subjective bias?  Even Science bases research on agreed upon Theory.  

Self discovery is based on individual observations, and as a Social Science researcher,  I'd recommend researching to understand, not to prove a point.  

"The truth is rarely pure, and never simple"!