Imagine: you are standing at a bookshelf in a huge bookstore, your eyes wide open from the abundance of books. Which one to choose? Now imagine that each book is a potential teacher, an expert in their field. How to choose someone who can really teach you something?
Or imagine another situation: you want to learn how to play the guitar. You enter a query into a search engine and get a million results. How to choose who to learn from? By the beauty of the Instagram profile cover? By the number of subscribers? Or maybe by promises to teach you how to play a solo from your favorite song in a week?
Finding experts usually means checking reviews and ratings on popular platforms for mentors or teachers, as well as turning to scientific portals if research is needed. But this approach is often insufficient: it does not guarantee that the chosen expert will be right for you and will give you the knowledge you need. This is why knowledge-based search would be more reliable, and it is important to consider how it can be organized:
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1. Search through knowledge bases and publications
When you need an expert in a scientific or technical field, one of the most proven methods is to analyze their actual publications and research. Specialized platforms such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu allow you to see how many times a scientist’s work has been cited, what topics they research, and also provide a summary of their articles. However, access to some materials may be limited, so the ideal solution would be a portal where articles and notes by experts are available and ranked by topic and assessment of their contribution.
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2. Social graph of knowledge
In an ideal model of knowledge-based search, an expert would not just be someone with high reviews, but also someone whose ideas are supported and confirmed by other professionals. This approach implies a social graph, where connections between people are built not on popularity or sympathy, but on the quality and relevance of their knowledge. This helps weed out the fake experts and find those who are respected by other experts for their real achievements.
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3. Rating based on real contribution
The most effective indicator of an expert's level is not just a high rating, but a dynamic assessment of their contribution to specific areas of knowledge. Such a rating can be based on public notes, answers to questions, and active participation in discussions. For example, if a person regularly shares important knowledge on finance and business, their contribution gradually increases, and for people looking for advice in this area, they become a first choice.
An example of a knowledge rating system: LinkedIn and Quora have examples of such mechanisms. On LinkedIn, users can recommend each other's skills, and on Quora, they can confirm answers, which creates a basis for choosing an expert. However, if the rating were based on real knowledge and involvement, it would be even more accurate.
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4. Public discussions and notes
Experts who blog, participate in public discussions, and leave notes give potential students more information to evaluate their knowledge. Seeing how an expert describes specific situations, shares examples, and analyzes complex topics gives you an idea of their style and depth of knowledge. This allows you to choose exactly those who understand the topics you need and can explain complex issues.
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Conclusion
The ideal search for experts through knowledge is a system where the user sees the expert's contribution, his connections with other professionals, and assessments of specific works.
