Top 10 Common Mistakes People Make When Researching Topics Online

1. Having only one source

   Having one source is NOT a good strategy for long-term research. Especially if the source is inherently disingenuous and fabricated. It's always advised to have multiple sources when researching topics, because it allows you to check your work more effectively.

2. Not fact-checking their sources

   This is basic journalism at its most essential: always fact-check a source and what they tell you. Because, as the old saying goes, don't believe everything you read on the internet. People can lie and make things up on a whim, not to mention that if something sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

3. Relying too much on Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter for information

   I'll always advocate against this, for a simple reason. Those platforms are a breeding ground for misinformation, falsified reports, and speculative hearsay. They can give you broad insight into certain topics, but shouldn't be treated as factual news in the slightest. Screenshots can be easily forged, and there are bad-faith actors on all websites, so always see what other sources there are to use at your disposal, regardless of whether they're niche news sites, scientific research sites, or anything else that comes to mind.

4. Relying too much on Wikipedia for information

   Wikipedia has a similar issue, and it's even more noticeable. Wikipedia has a notorious history of being vandalized; people will write dishonest or shady things in articles, and even if they've been edited out, they can easily be edited back in. Even if you ignore the vandalism, several articles are outdated and relay information that needs to be corrected.

5. Using falsified or invalid information

6. Taking 4chan at face value instead of digging deeper

7. Rushing to cover something instead of verifying all the available information at their disposal

8. Relying on information from random internet influencers instead of doing further evaluation

9. Relying too much on anonymous testimony

10. Having an overly simplistic worldview of a nuanced topic

The Contenders

11. Using inaccurate sources