> "I did the research" means "I did half as much reading as the average C student does for a term paper
What's the alternative? No one who says that is saying they did original research, they're saying they searched around and got what they believe to be at least a consensus among the body of experts they trust.
Like I agree the problem sucks but I have no idea what a solution looks like. For fields someone is totally unfamiliar with they simultaneously don't have enough knowledge to evaluate the truth of a claim nor the knowledge to evaluate if someone is qualified and trustworthy enough to believe them. It's turtles all the way down -- especially because topics of any interest you can find as many experts as you care to of whatever qualification you demand making all sorts of contradictory claims.
What's the alternative? No one who says that is saying they did original research, they're saying they searched around and got what they believe to be at least a consensus among the body of experts they trust.
Like I agree the problem sucks but I have no idea what a solution looks like. For fields someone is totally unfamiliar with they simultaneously don't have enough knowledge to evaluate the truth of a claim nor the knowledge to evaluate if someone is qualified and trustworthy enough to believe them. It's turtles all the way down -- especially because topics of any interest you can find as many experts as you care to of whatever qualification you demand making all sorts of contradictory claims.