Just like how we evaluate the credibility of news and social media, we must also assess the quality and sources of scientific evidence and research. As news is a more reliable source than opinion, there’s also a hierarchy for scientific evidence and studies, often based on methodologies such as study design, sample size, and the length of the research. 

Science, like all human enterprises, is not free of error, bias, and misconduct. Science literacy helps evaluate the strengths and limits of peer-reviewed research. 

Scientific and medical studies with larger sample sizes or carried out over a longer time are often considered more reliable. Peer-reviewed or refereed scientific papers are subject to scrutiny by an editorial board of subject experts and evaluated for criteria, including significance, novelty and excellence, by experts before publication. 

When it comes to scientific research, a systematic review – a synthesis of all relevant studies about a topic – and meta-analysis –  a systematic review of previous studies that makes conclusions about an area of research  – offer the most reliable and high-quality evidence.  Editorials and expert opinions have more bias and less reliability baked into them. Additionally, sometimes, the results of randomized controlled trials get misrepresented in news coverage, inflating the significance of findings based on small population samples.   

Websites and Online Magazines

• Science Pretenders 

• Information Literacy 

• Credible science resources 

• Retraction Watch