1. Rigorous peer reviews from several different sources. Studies that don’t have a widespread peer review are not reliable. The COVID Vaccine has many peer reviews (similar vaccines have been used for 20 years, thus the quick ability to develop a reliable vaccine. Health studies need wide samples and reviews from sources that are not emotionally or financially embedded with the study.
If a study has not been peer reviewed, it’s safe to assume it isn’t reliable. Generally, peer reviewers are experts in their respective fields. This process exists to help filter out the junk.
2. Studies that are contrary to a person’s expectations
These are the studies that require the most scrutiny. And this is where sample size and funding sources come into play.
If a study based its conclusions on a statistically insignificant sample size or is making a claim about “all people” without extending its pool to include data from individuals from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, assume the study is invalid.
If companies with a clear interest in a certain set of outcomes fund the study, approach it with a high degree of skepticism.
Question list:
Who did the study?
Who paid for the study?
Who reviewed the study?
What was the composition of the study?
Suzanne Deakins, H.W., M.