The following is for your benefit Pete. I will ask yo to read it and try to understand that, if you cannot show how your pronouncements fulfil the points below, what you are saying owes nothing to science.


Sound Science Crib Sheet

1.       What institution conducted the research? Research should be conducted by institutions, not by individuals currently or formerly associated with them. Also, try and establish that the institutions are respected and credible, with a history of doing sound scientific research.

2.       For whom was the research conducted? Much of the time, reputable institutes are given research grants by government, environmental and industry groups. These groups are hoping that studies will either prove or disprove a particular perception or point of view.

3.       For example, the Tobacco Institute may fund a lung cancer study to be performed by Johns Hopkins University. There is nothing wrong with this situation, as long as the funder exercises no control over the study's design, execution, results or conclusions.
      
4.          When did the study occur? Make sure that results are recent. Otherwise, it's possible that the conclusions have been superceded by more recent studies.

5.       What are the credentials of the people conducting the research? Medical research should include PhDs in the specific discipline being studied. Watch out for studies with "experts" whose credentials seem to be in fields that are not directly related to the research in question.

6.       Were results published in a respected scientific or medical journal that routinely conducts peer reviews? Look for names like Nature, Science, The Journal of the American Medical Association or The Lancet.

7.       Is the sample size large enough to be projectable? Studies of small samples are of dubious value.

8.       Was the sample selected properly? Try to make sure that bias is reduced through the use of properly matched test and control groups. Check the reports for sections discussing methodology and any potential problems relating to it.

9.       Did the study contain other methods to eliminate bias and confounding variables? Good studies go to great lengths to minimize the potential for error. They also go to great lengths to explain both what bias or errors may still exist.

10.       Are results consistent with the generally accepted body of research on the subject? Don't draw conclusions from single studies or ones that contradict the preponderance of available evidence.

11.       Are there other possible reasons for the relationship being discussed? This is a far bigger possibility than you might think! It is also another reason to not rely solely on the results of a single study.