Five rules for good science (and how they can help you spot bad science)

September 22, 2023

I have a few rules that I aim to use when I run studies. By considering what it looks like when these rules are inverted, they also may help guide you in thinking about which studies are not reliable. (1) Don't use a net with big holes to catch a small fish That means you should use a large enough sample size (e.g., number of study participants) to reliably detect whatever effects you're looking for! (2) Don't use calculus to help you assemble IKEA furniture That means...

14 Signs A Study Is More Likely To Be Trustworthy

July 2, 2020

Science is incredible, but not all studies are reliable. In fact, they frequently aren't. So how can we tell when a study is trustworthy? Here are 14 signs to look for (for studies involving humans): 1) Large: a reasonably large number of study participants (20 per group is usually too small - the sample size should be large enough to give the study the power it needs to have a good chance of detecting an effect if the effect is indeed real) 2) Controlled: if the study is making claims to...