RELS-346/846: AI, Biohacking, and Future Technology

When it comes to finding information on a subject, most people start with tools like Google and Wikipedia. There are numerous advantages to this approach, such as...

• there is plenty of content
• it is easy to search
• content is current/timely

However, there are drawbacks that need to be considered.

• the volume of information can be overwhelming
• there can be a lot of irrelevant retrieval
• date coverage is often unclear
• it can be difficult to determine what information is legitimate/authoritative/unbiased
• search engines only index a fraction of the available data
• some information may be fee-based and therefore inaccessible

There are numerous graphics available to illustrate the research process. This is just one example. What is important to consider is that (1) each step builds upon the earlier one(s), and (2) at no point is the process meant to be set in stone. For example, if there is no literature to support your research question, then perhaps you should consider tweaking your question.