# Research Requires Careful Attention

Watch [on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwFBi11jf64) or below:

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  <source src="../videos/research-requires-careful-attention.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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## Description

PayPal: [https://paypal.me/Guard13007](https://paypal.me/Guard13007)  
Blog: [https://blog.tangentfox.com/](https://blog.tangentfox.com/)  
My Patreon (probably doesn't work): [https://www.patreon.com/guard13007](https://www.patreon.com/guard13007)

Links are kept outside of my YouTube descriptions after [YouTube threatened me over linking to the New York Times](../YouTube-threat.md):  
- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_fire)

## Script

I was looking for information about Native American spiritual beliefs, especially around death. I quickly found most online resources are problematic by lumping cultures together and simplifying beliefs to categories. So I turned to looking for books.

However, one of the biggest problems with turning to books is that they are mostly written by white men assuming they understand everything there is to know about another culture, sometimes even just making things up. And websites, like this one, have a vested interest in making money, which means less checking for accuracy, and more rushing to complete something.

Some of the books recommended here appear to be written by Native Americans, but just glancing at the Wikipedia entry for the third book in this list reveals that it is a fiction, not a history as it was originally published, and the last book on this list is by a grifter who faked his heritage in order to publish myths about the Cheyenne people.

I gotta be honest, I didn't spend much more time checking the other books on this list, because it's obvious this list is suspect from two bad apples being found with 10 minutes of a basic search and reading a summary. But I did think it was a good example of how easily something can look reasonable, but be worthless, and I want to share that this is what you need to look out for.

Before trusting a source, look for signs that they're trying to make money. That's the simplest thing to look for. I'd guess that this website was intentionally bought and named for the association to a dead publisher. I'm sure it drives traffic to them, and they seem very insistent on using Amazon affiliate links. Don't worry, I'm sure Honey will take care of that.

Look for citations, other sources, studies. Look at what those other places say. Wikipedia often has minor mistakes, and sometimes entire sections of a particularly niche topic can be wrong, but they always have citations that can be checked, that are more reliable. This example is kind of a preview for another video I'm working on. When I made the video about hybrid vehicles being good, I received a comment about hybrids having a higher fire risk than other vehicle types, so I started looking it up.

This is the *very nearly* the **only** claim you can find in the USA about vehicle fires. It is a lie, and widely cited as the truth. If you can find ANY information about vehicle fires that isn't referencing this particular claim (and isn't already in the sources of the Wikipedia page I just showed), please, I beg of you, send it to me. I am working on a video talking about why I know this claim is false. For now, I'll just leave you with this: AutoinsuranceEZ claims they got the data on vehicle types involved in fires from the NTSB. The NTSB does not have that data, and never did. They also claim to be using the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which has not published sales figures that match this table for any year or group of years. In other words, the sources claimed to be in use to make this table do not have the information in this table. If nothing else, they're lying about where they got their information from.

Welcome to the end of the video where I beg because I just barely survived not having an income for 1.5 years, and the only vehicle I have access to was totaled two weeks ago. I'll probably be fine, but any help is.. well.. as it is says, greatly appreciated.
