Should You Trust That Research Study You Read About?

Academic studies in the social sciences often find very different results from each other, which makes it hard to know which ones to trust. To be a smart consumer of this type of research, do a few things. First, don’t rely too much on any one study. Whenever possible, look for meta-analyses or systematic reviews that compare the results from many studies, as they can provide more-credible evidence and suggest reasons that results differ. Second, pay attention to a study’s sample size. Researchers are less likely to successfully replicate others’ results if the study looked at a small number of people or companies, for example. Similarly, consider the peculiarities of the sample or the study’s methods. How did the researchers come to study the specific sample they did? What kinds of factors could have skewed the results? Finally, always remember: If a study’s results sound too good to be true, they probably are.

Source: Adapted from “How to Be a Smart Consumer of Social Science Research,” by Eva Vivalt

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