* How did ppl before information age do self studies and researches on a subject when there is not google, guides and indices maintained by an online community, and especially when they dont have access to tutors and experts who are proficient in the areas? For example if one wanted to learn Latin or French by himself in 1900s. Or when someone who wanted to learn maths or history by himself. How does he know what to read, how to practise and apply the skills and knowledge etc..
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Ever had to write a bibliography? This is why
Books don’t just come out of no where, they have reference material. Reputable books will tell you what information comes from which reference material, and what those reference materials are. Most of those reference materials are scientific journals
If you are studying cloning you’ll probably want to read the article published in *Nature* by the people who cloned Dolly the sheep but might need to go read an older article from *Journal of Animal Science* to understand some of the issues they faced, but they have it listed in their citations so you know exactly which article in exactly which edition of the journal.
The oldest scientific journal in the English speaking world dates back to 1665, they were the way knowledge spread long before the information age
Now, journals won’t teach you specific skills like Latin or Algebra, but they will keep you informed on the latest developments in research of idioms in classical latin, or number theory.
For learning specific skills its really about finding a tutor with a reputation, if there is no tutor you’re likely not learning that skill, but that’s also why tutors could be recruited and would travel for those willing to pay
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