Science, Good And Bad: How To Evaluate Research

Spotting bad science or unreliable sources requires a critical approach to claims, methodology, and research credibility. Misleading information stems from flawed studies. Researchers sometimes have biased interpretations. Platforms are often unreliable and, to put it politely, incentivized by monetary gain in lieu of objective evidence. Here’s to your journey in evading bad science. Pseudoscience.

Look for strong evidence. Peer-reviewed articles. Randomized-controlled trials. Reliable science is typically published in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. Getting your paper in there is hard. Check if the source has been subject to expert review. This helps ensure the study’s methodology and conclusions meet scientific standards. Be wary of articles that only cite preprints—studies that are not peer-reviewed—or poorly regulated journals. These lack rigorous scrutiny. Generally, the more difficult it is to get a paper published in a given journal, the more scrupulously reviewed and trustworthy that journal will be.

Evaluate the research methods. Examine how the study was conducted. Reliable studies typically: (1) have large, representative sample sizes; (2) employ control groups, randomized methods, and double-blind placebos; (3) clearly explain their methodology, data collection strategy, and analysis. Signs of bad science are the opposites. Small sample size. Poorly defined variables. Lack of replication. Conclusions that overreach the data. For instance, claiming a miracle cure for cancer based on a single, small-scale, non-randomized trial is a red flag.

Watch for conflicts of interest. Check whether the researchers or publishers have any financial or ideological “motives” that might sway their findings. Maybe they have “connections” to a company that funded their “objective study”? Perhaps a study was paid for by a pharmaceutical company or food manufacturer which benefits from the conclusion? These should be scrutinized with extra care. Reliable sources always disclose funding and potential conflicts of interest outright. Transparency is not a problem, but an aim for good research.

Assess how credible the source is. Did it come from an established, reputable organization? A major university—Cambridge, Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Princeton—or well-known journal—Nature, The Lancet, JAMA, The New England Journal Of Medicine—can be relied upon. Are the authors recognized experts in their field? Look for academic and professional credentials. Does the article have a sensationalized or clickbait-style headline to pull people? Bad sources typically lack author transparency, rely on anonymous contributors, and/or appear on platforms known to spread misinformation.

Be wary of oversimplified or absolute claims. Science is complex. There is rarely a definitive answer to anything. Claims like “scientists say X is true” or “study Y shows Z causes X with 100 percent certainty” are exaggerations. Most of the time. Good science acknowledges limitations, uncertainty, and outlines how future research could expand on the findings. Avoid sources that cherry-pick data to support their specific narrative while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Check for corroboration and replication. Check for the facts. Good science is supported by other studies. Claims that stand alone or contradict well-established bodies of evidence should raise suspicion. For instance, one study putting forth a significant health benefit from a common food is an anomaly unless other research backs it up. Try a fact-checking service. Reliable secondary sources, like meta-analyses or systematic reviews, offer broader views into the topic. Great if they back the claims up—those are legit.