LibGuides: Science Information Literacy in a Democratic Society: Debunking

Chocolate

How I fooled Millions
Slim by Chocolate!” the headlines blared. A team of German researchers had found that people on a low-carb diet lost weight 10 percent faster if they ate a chocolate bar every day. (From the article)

Tipsheet: For Reporting on Drugs, Devices and Medical Technologies
Some simple questions to consider and discuss. Many of these questions will already be familiar to reporters covering health and medicine. They are not intended as a guide to writing or producing stories, but simply as a list of some key issues to think about and, if possible, discuss with a range of sources, including independent researchers. Nor are these questions necessarily meant to be used in formal interviews. Instead, they are questions to consider and discuss when researching stories. Consideration of these questions may lead a reporter's research in unexpected directions.

PubMed will add Conflict of interest statements
It can be hard to find information about study funders, now that’s about to change: PubMed just started displaying conflict of interest data up front. New information about funding sources and potential conflicts will now appear right below study abstracts, which means readers don’t have even to open a journal article to be made aware of any possible industry influence over studies. (from the article)

Evaluating Science for Decision Making: A Consumer’s Handbook

60% of science is funded by corporate interests. Disclosure statements are helpful but not uniformly applied. Use critical skepticism with everything you read.
Look to back up the research you are reading with other research that corroborates it. Science is confirmed through replication, but many studies are not replicated.
Follow the money, if someone could benefit from the studyuse extra caution.
All studies do not apply to your situation. A study on teenage boys may not apply to post-menopausal women,
Commercial interests benefit from making sweeping claims that make even the absurd seem promising.
Beware magical thinking, Nothing will give you the skin of an 18 year old, except being 18.
If it sounds too good to be true, it likely isn’t. Science is parsimonious, scientist tend not to make exciting sweeping claims.
Go back to the original study, the findings are often a good deal narrower than a secondary report of the science.
Amount of media coverage of a study or scientific topic has no relationship to its scientific merit. Many topics are well covered because they are exciting or appealing.
Beware of science free zones.

Inspired by On the Media Consumer Handbook Series http://www.wnyc.org/series/breaking-news-consumers-handbook