Ever wondered why a scientist or doctor might look at some of the research you may have found in the library, a newspaper or on the internet and not take it too seriously? Or indeed they may be very interested? Professional researchers make a series of judgements about an information resource that determines whether it is something that warrants immediate attention, or whether it is something to remember and look for more studies being done in the future.
This is a useful tool (link below) for the non-scientist or citizen scientist to be able to work out if the research paper they are looking at is a good, reliable source of information and how strong the conclusions of the research are likely to be taken. These quality control ‘tests’ are part of the daily life of professional scientists.
Submitted by GAtherton on Wed, 2016-10-12 14:16