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This explains a few people…
The Google University EffectMany people believe they have expertise that they do not actually have because they have been able to do “research” online. -
7 Replies
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That’s been the underlying message in that website and its sister website, sciencebasedmedicine.org, both of which I’ve been following for years.
The limitations of Google-ing are relevant here:
1. Past search history and keywords can skew search results. Many people don’t go beyond 2-3 pages, so of course they could easily pay attention to the bad information. If you want the studies, search on Google Scholar.
2. Not all medical journals are high quality, and in fact there are several bad ones. But not even the best medical papers are immune from publishing sub-par or bad studies.
3. You should look around for any methodological criticisms (from the experts) or recent paper retractions. Keep an eye on Pubpeer and retractionwatch.com.
4. You should really know how to read a study. Having a background in statistics will help a lot.
5. Some companies and researchers like to abuse/skew double blinded, placebo-controlled studies because they know it’s immediately credible. One example: check the treatment vs placebo. If they are in different vehicles-say, a cream versus a gel-it’s not double blinded.
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this is a great article
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Thanks for sharing! A very interesting article.
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Great points @MichelleReece
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I tried 3 different browsers and can’t open the link.
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O.k. great article!
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