Feature Article — Bad Studies: Yes, They Exist. How Can You Identify Them?

Thousands of scientific journal articles, covering a myriad of topics, are published every day. And, because of the 24/7 news cycle, often new studies are reported by the media. Unfortunately, this means sometimes weak studies are reported, so how can you tell which studies are done well and which are not?

Research reported by the media needs two levels of consideration:

1. How good was the study itself?
2. How good is the news report about the study?

Indeed, getting information about scientific studies through the media is an imperfect filter. It means, we are relying on journalists to assess the quality of the study and accurately and comprehensively report the information that we need to know about the study.

The Vaccine Education Center offers two resources to help you navigate these separate, yet related, issues:

1. Bad Studies: Yes, They Exist. How Can You Identify Them? – In this new Science Made Easy video, Dr. Offit talks about how to evaluate scientific studies using the two pillars of science — peer review and reproducibility.
2. Evaluating Information: What You Should Know – This printable Q&A provides tips for assessing media reports and scientific studies. It also offers tips for assessing websites.