snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Snake's Methods for Researching
Hello Everyone! I thought that you all would like a guide to how I personally research topics. I thought this would be fun for those of you who may never have researched anything but a term paper in highschool/college. These are my thoughts about how to research a subject to know what you are doing, and possibly what information to trust.
There are several different types of information out there.
[list type=decimal]
[*]
Scientific sources (IE Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scientific Journals)
[*]
Magazine Articles / Internet Articles
[*]
Websites / Blogs
[*]
Message Boards / Forums / Bulletin Boards
Reef Clubs / LFS
Mentor
Books
[/list type=decimal]
Not in any specific order, of course. So, there's so much information out there, where does a new hobbyist start? Most people walk into their live fish store and ask the clerks and owners there how to get started. Soon, when things start to go wrong, then they turn to message boards. Message boards are mainly opinions of how things should be done, with very little actual resources to back up their opinions. (Even my own!)
The most accurate information that you can find out there is in scientific resources, books and magazine articles. This information has been processed, boiled down, and sources cited. These people usually do not mess around with the information that they are presenting. There are a lot of technical terms that are used in these articles that are and will be confusing to new hobbyists.
Books are perhaps one of the most widely accepted information guidelines there are. Books can be specific to a subject, IE Julian Sprung's “Algae.” or cover a general blanket of information such as “The Conscientious Marine Aquarist” by Bob Fenner. I get a lot of my information out of books, and cross reference them with articles.
Websites and blogs generally are good resources for information, as long as you can trust the source, and some of their information is backed up by sources cited. The more you read, the more you can sift through the opinions and the actual detailed information that you need. Also, check to see when the site was last updated with new information. Sometimes you may find a really good source (IE GARF) but they have old and outdated techniques.
Mentors are great if you can find someone who is knowledgeable and will take the time to teach you what they know. Keep in mind, however, that there is more than one way to skin a cat in this hobby. A mentor has found what works for him or her, and what he/she has done over the years. It might not be the most widely accepted way of doing things, but it's his/her way of doing them. The best source of experience is through a mentor. Try to go out and find one. You can probably find someone who is willing to be friends and talk about reefing through a local reef club.
Local reef clubs are great ways of finding general information about the hobby as well. You can meet and greet with hobbyists from all walks of life and ask about their methods and they will more than likely talk your head off! Take everyone's opinion with a grain of salt, however, and if you are interested in one aspect of the hobby, IE Algae Scrubbers, then you should do additional research on the subject through articles, websites/blogs, forums, and possibly even a scientific source or two.
Here's what I do when I want to know the compatibility of my livestock:
[list type=decimal]
[*]
I consult a compatibility book first. I look up the species and read about it in the book. I see what they require, what they eat, what water parameters they prefer, what their behaviors are, if they are reef safe or not, and what families of fish and coral to put them with, or not put them with.
[*]
I try to find an article written by an author that I trust, or a business that has a lot to loose by giving mis-information. Articles on websites that sell livestock range from general to specific. I cross reference the information that I learned in the book with the online article.
[*]
If I am still unsure about the livestock, I go to a message board and ask a question. Message boards, of course, are mainly opinion, and if too many people are giving different opinions, I generally trust the books and articles more.
Here's what I do when I want to know how to do a new process:
I try to find something in a book or article first.
I cross check the information I find in a book/article with articles written on message boards. (IE Algae Scrubbers.)
I find someone who has already done it and has experience with it, specific questions about it that I haven't already found through reading articles on message boards.
[/list type=decimal]
I generally use message boards as an opinionated guideline, instead of actual facts. If I can find a member on a message board that has specific knowledge in the area and has been proven successful, that I am researching, then I usually consider that advice first.
If I am having problems with something in my tank:
[list type=decimal]
[*]
I find out what the problem is, kind of diagnose it myself to begin with. (is it a livestock problem? Water parameter problem?)
[*]
I do a Google search using words that I am familiar with and try to find pictures of what I am trying to diagnose that look similar what what I am dealing with.
I then try to find articles about it, either on forums, websites, or scientific sources.
If I still have questions, I'll ask forum members what it is and what I can do about it, or at least to point me in the right direction.
[/list type=decimal]
I know that all of this should pretty much go without saying. However, I think you all should know the processes that I go through to find the information that I do. I always cross-check things and double check others. When it comes to the life of my livestock, I don't want to take any risks. Why do that, when you can just do a little research?
Hello Everyone! I thought that you all would like a guide to how I personally research topics. I thought this would be fun for those of you who may never have researched anything but a term paper in highschool/college. These are my thoughts about how to research a subject to know what you are doing, and possibly what information to trust.
There are several different types of information out there.
[list type=decimal]
[*]
Scientific sources (IE Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scientific Journals)
[*]
Magazine Articles / Internet Articles
[*]
Websites / Blogs
[*]
Message Boards / Forums / Bulletin Boards
Reef Clubs / LFS
Mentor
Books
[/list type=decimal]
Not in any specific order, of course. So, there's so much information out there, where does a new hobbyist start? Most people walk into their live fish store and ask the clerks and owners there how to get started. Soon, when things start to go wrong, then they turn to message boards. Message boards are mainly opinions of how things should be done, with very little actual resources to back up their opinions. (Even my own!)
The most accurate information that you can find out there is in scientific resources, books and magazine articles. This information has been processed, boiled down, and sources cited. These people usually do not mess around with the information that they are presenting. There are a lot of technical terms that are used in these articles that are and will be confusing to new hobbyists.
Books are perhaps one of the most widely accepted information guidelines there are. Books can be specific to a subject, IE Julian Sprung's “Algae.” or cover a general blanket of information such as “The Conscientious Marine Aquarist” by Bob Fenner. I get a lot of my information out of books, and cross reference them with articles.
Websites and blogs generally are good resources for information, as long as you can trust the source, and some of their information is backed up by sources cited. The more you read, the more you can sift through the opinions and the actual detailed information that you need. Also, check to see when the site was last updated with new information. Sometimes you may find a really good source (IE GARF) but they have old and outdated techniques.
Mentors are great if you can find someone who is knowledgeable and will take the time to teach you what they know. Keep in mind, however, that there is more than one way to skin a cat in this hobby. A mentor has found what works for him or her, and what he/she has done over the years. It might not be the most widely accepted way of doing things, but it's his/her way of doing them. The best source of experience is through a mentor. Try to go out and find one. You can probably find someone who is willing to be friends and talk about reefing through a local reef club.
Local reef clubs are great ways of finding general information about the hobby as well. You can meet and greet with hobbyists from all walks of life and ask about their methods and they will more than likely talk your head off! Take everyone's opinion with a grain of salt, however, and if you are interested in one aspect of the hobby, IE Algae Scrubbers, then you should do additional research on the subject through articles, websites/blogs, forums, and possibly even a scientific source or two.
Here's what I do when I want to know the compatibility of my livestock:
[list type=decimal]
[*]
I consult a compatibility book first. I look up the species and read about it in the book. I see what they require, what they eat, what water parameters they prefer, what their behaviors are, if they are reef safe or not, and what families of fish and coral to put them with, or not put them with.
[*]
I try to find an article written by an author that I trust, or a business that has a lot to loose by giving mis-information. Articles on websites that sell livestock range from general to specific. I cross reference the information that I learned in the book with the online article.
[*]
If I am still unsure about the livestock, I go to a message board and ask a question. Message boards, of course, are mainly opinion, and if too many people are giving different opinions, I generally trust the books and articles more.
Here's what I do when I want to know how to do a new process:
I try to find something in a book or article first.
I cross check the information I find in a book/article with articles written on message boards. (IE Algae Scrubbers.)
I find someone who has already done it and has experience with it, specific questions about it that I haven't already found through reading articles on message boards.
[/list type=decimal]
I generally use message boards as an opinionated guideline, instead of actual facts. If I can find a member on a message board that has specific knowledge in the area and has been proven successful, that I am researching, then I usually consider that advice first.
If I am having problems with something in my tank:
[list type=decimal]
[*]
I find out what the problem is, kind of diagnose it myself to begin with. (is it a livestock problem? Water parameter problem?)
[*]
I do a Google search using words that I am familiar with and try to find pictures of what I am trying to diagnose that look similar what what I am dealing with.
I then try to find articles about it, either on forums, websites, or scientific sources.
If I still have questions, I'll ask forum members what it is and what I can do about it, or at least to point me in the right direction.
[/list type=decimal]
I know that all of this should pretty much go without saying. However, I think you all should know the processes that I go through to find the information that I do. I always cross-check things and double check others. When it comes to the life of my livestock, I don't want to take any risks. Why do that, when you can just do a little research?
