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Basics

What we mean when we say "the evidence"

Not all studies are equal. A short guide to reading health claims without a statistics degree.

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Why the source matters

A single study rarely settles anything. What moves the needle is the weight of evidence: several independent groups, different methods, converging on the same answer.

  • Randomised trials are strongest for “does this cause that”.
  • Cohort studies are useful when a trial would be impractical.
  • Case reports describe what happened once, and are a starting point, not a conclusion.

Reading a claim

When you see a headline, three questions get you most of the way:

  1. Who was studied, and are they like you?
  2. How big was the effect, in numbers you can picture?
  3. Compared with what?