Accurate Information 101

Goal: Describe “accurate information.”

To reach this goal, you want to be able to answer questions such as “what does accurate information mean?”, “when is accurate information important?”, and so on.

Here is how I answer some of these questions.

What?

Accurate information is information that faithfully represents reality without distortion or error. That is, it presents an accurate view of reality (AVR).

Here are some examples:

1. Accurate information about Greece presents correct and representative information so that one can plan a vacation.

2. Accurate information about optics presents correct information so that one can understand this physics topic.

3. Accurate information about diet presents correct information so that one can make the best dietary choices.

4. Accurate information about vaccines presents correct information about vaccines so that one can make the wisest choices for the health of themselves, their family, their friends, and others.

Why?

Being skilled at getting accurate information is worthwhile because every actor (person or group) is better off if they have correct information versus misleading or wrong information.

Also, getting accurate information can be done very quickly for a person skilled in the methods.

How?

The method for getting accurate information distilled down is simple.

1. Accuracy Mindset: Focus on figuring out what is right (correct) and not on being right. That is, be open to new ideas, be extremely skeptical of yourself, bend over backwards to validate your own beliefs, and in all cases use evidence and reasoning to figure out what is true and what is not.

2. Questions: Ask great questions that catalyze your information search.

3. Secondary Research: Get known information from “good” (reliable) sources. This is called “secondary research.”

4. Primary Research: For primary research, use “good” (reliable) methods. Primary research is when you get information by direct methods (observation, experiment, calculations, measurement, and so on) instead of from other people.

5. Triangulation: For both primary and secondary research, cross-check information to find patterns that reveal truth to you.