This is a linkpost for https://www.strataoftheworld.com/2024/01/a-model-of-research-skill.html

Doing research means answering questions no one yet knows the answer to. Lots of impactful projects are downstream of being good at this. A good first step is to have a model for what the hard parts of research skill are.

Two failure modes

There are two opposing failure modes you can fall into when thinking about research skill.

The first is the deferential one. Research skill is this amorphous complicated things, so the only way to be sure you have it is to spend years developing it within some ossified ancient bureaucracy and then have someone in a funny hat hand you a piece of paper (bonus points for Latin being involved).

The second is the hubristic one. You want to do, say, AI alignment research. This involves thinking hard, maybe writing some code, maybe doing some maths, and then writing up your [...]

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Outline:

(00:19) Two failure modes

(01:59) Methodology, except “methodology” is too fancy a word

(03:26) The Big Three

(04:24) Taste

(09:58) Paranoia

(11:24) Communication

(13:22) Other points

(20:04) Good things to read on research skill

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First published:
January 8th, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/NyGgegFATfsyuGFo4/a-model-of-research-skill

Linkpost URL:
https://www.strataoftheworld.com/2024/01/a-model-of-research-skill.html

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[Linkpost] “A model of research skill” by L Rudolf L

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

[Linkpost] “A model of research skill” by L Rudolf L