Discerning quality research: How to spot good science by Sally Duplantier, BS

Back in 1998, a physician named Andrew Wakefield published a scientific paper with a finding so startling, it became a media sensation. Never mind that the sample size was small (N=12), or that the design was scientifically flawed, or that the team conducting the research engaged in unethical practices. Thousands of parents still accepted the findings as fact: Vaccines cause autism. Ten years later, The Lancet, the journal that originally published the article, retracted it, and the results of Dr. Wakefield's publication were refuted by the scientific and medical communities. Nonetheless, the damage to public health was done. The vaccination rate of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella)--the focus of Wakefield's paper--dropped by 80%. Beyond that impact, the paper created fear and uncertainty in the minds of parents about all vaccines. Wakefield's fabricated publication created a wave of skepticism that lingers to this day, even in a global pandemic. This is not an isolated example. In the quest for the new and novel, the media often sensationalizes research findings in a way that is misleading. In addition, not all scientific research is created equal. The following guidelines will help you wade through the vast array of scientific studies to discern the quality and relevance of their content.