Literacy rate

[killerbill0787]

What is a good literacy rate? I hate 47.9% with Japan in 1858 and I feel like this is low. I started researching interchangable parts and it will take 2 years to finish the one tech and Ifeel like thats a crazy long time. I am new to the game so i dont really have anything to compare to so i was hoping someone could kind of tell me whats a decent research rate.

[Lembley42]

48% is decent, though I dont know about Japan in 1858 specificially. They start out pretty ok.

Get Idealism and that whole branch as well as Ideological Thought for way more Research points. Dont tech the latest stuff unless its necessary (like in huge Wars modern Army Tech / more Research points in times of Peace).

Get Biologism for +50% Education Effiency thanks to Darwinism (also to find in the Culture technologies, middle-ish) .
Also put down your National Focus early on on Clergymen and obviously Education spending on 100%.

[DirtyClaw]

48% literacy in 1858 is doing really well. Japan starts with a great literacy rate, which is why they are almost always the first uncivilized nation to westernize.
You can see a tooltip when you hover your mouse over your daily tech points.
Things that give bonuses for tech points should be a top priority in most situations, unless you are desperate for more military tech or rushing for colonization. Lembley gave some great tips for research point bonuses, just to expand on that i'll add a bit here.

literacy rate in itself gives a bonus to tech points.

% of clergy, 2% clergy will give the max tech points bonus, however having 4% clergy gives the max bonus for increasing literacy rate, do not go over 4% as this is offers nothing more.

The tech line that offers 50% bonus to your base tech points.

Plurality mostly found as inventions within the ideological thought tech line. plurality can also be given by some events that popup. This can often be one of the most overlooked bonuses for a player new to the game. Get plurality inventions early and often.

Clerks give bonus tech points. You will recieve the maximum bonus for having 4% of your pops working as clerks. These guys also give great bonuses to the factories they work in. A pop needs to have at least 40% literacy rate to begin promoting themselves to clerks.

Researching a level 3 tech ahead of time can offer some great rewards but will in general take quite a bit longer if you have not yet researched the level 3 research bonus that gives you the 50% tech bonus.