- Ytlaya
- Nov 13, 2005
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I ask an expert on the issue where they get their data from; you've done a decent first step posting here. If I want to find something out, I look at the data or get the data collected on the issue.
Then, I look at established methodologies for analysis of similar issues, work out my methodology for an analysis of the specific issue I'm examining, and then see how far off my methods are from standard tools. This provides me with insight into whether I'm looking at a novel issue to be informed by personal experience on system dynamics related to the issue, or within the bounds of established theory.
Then, I crunch the data, run a few simplified models, and work out the system which the data represents. For example, for mapping projects, once I know what I need and obtain the data that know I need, I transform it into layers and apply it to related datasets to be able to quickly glance at and inform whether networks, clusters, or opportunities emerge. This has served me well in finance, education/human development, targeting outreach efforts, and informing systemic models to capture full impact and revise metrics for more accurate target assertainment.
Tl;dr you'd probably be really interested in a good research methods course and some stats classes. Trust, but verify your gut feeling on an issue and be open to surpressing your gut.
Everywhere is bias, so figure things out for yourself and transform them into a framework through which you analyze others' policy positions. I maintain that so long as you know the bounds of the system in which an agent operates, and know the motivation/highest priority target ambition, you can deduce what levers and outlets the agent is likely to pass through next.
Unless someone is quite skilled, they're going to be served far better by looking at the results of reputable studies other, more experienced people have done than trying to perform their own analysis. This is especially true when you consider the fact that it's impossible to really perform an "unbiased" analysis. Learning how to read scholarly studies is far less daunting than learning to perform a statistical analysis and will benefit the OP far more.
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Nov 6, 2014 02:59
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May 11, 2024 20:16
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- Ytlaya
- Nov 13, 2005
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If you don't want to do that, I guess read as widely as possible and try to keep in mind that on economics the orthodox view is usually right and backed up by a whole lot more evidence (which you'd encounter if you were doing your thesis, but you're not) than whatever alt-econ the author is trying to say is The One Weird Trick that will fix <problem> caused by Capitalism.
Orthodox economics actually kind of agrees with the general "D&D consensus" on this issue, though.
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Nov 7, 2014 00:12
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Nov 6, 2014 02:59
