I see a lot of creators telling their supporters “do your own research,” with zero tips on how, where to start, and what to look for, so I’ll try my best to explain my process.
I’ll use Mugwort for my example.
1. Google “Mugwort”, just in general. You aren’t looking for anything specific yet, just read as much as you can and don’t worry about reputable sources yet. I find that reading un-reputable information prepares you for arguments you’ll probably have later because you’ll already know how to correct the false information.
2. Research “history of mugwort,” you’ll be looking for the historic uses in medicine, magic, ritual, the cultures who used it, how they used it, and why they used it. You’ll need reputable sources for this. Jstor has some good information, Google scholar is alright, universities, historic societies, etc.
3. Use one of these databases to find out the biology of mugwort. This will help you decipher information of the next step. This isn’t essential, it’s just good to know if you plan to use it medicinally.
4. Research the medicinal properties of mugwort. Many resources will say the same thing, but they likely won’t say how you shouldn’t use it or who shouldn’t use it. Research those two things as well. You should also know if it’s safe to use internally and if it’s safe for pets, safe to inhale, etc.
5. Research the magical properties of mugwort. You’ll already know the magical properties if you researched the historic uses for mugwort specifically, some herbs never had magical uses though, so this won’t be for everything.
6. Congrats, you did your research. If any specific questions come up after that, research those as well.
Tips: Try to find resources to find out if what you’re researching is sacred to a culture.