Methodology
Not everything weighs the same.
For the people who follow us, we say which level of evidence each piece belongs to. Strong proof we state with confidence; a hypothesis stays a hypothesis.
The evidence pyramid is the model we use to weigh a source. The higher up, the more solid the proof; the lower down, the more it is food for thought.
Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
The synthesis of many independent studies. The most solid ground: we state it with confidence.
e.g. Cochrane
Replicated peer-reviewed studies
Controlled experiments, confirmed by more than one group. Strong evidence.
Single peer-reviewed study
Peer-reviewed, but not yet replicated. A serious lead, to take with caution.
Preprints, not yet reviewed
Research shared before peer review. Interesting, but not validated: we say so.
arXiv (Cornell), bioRxiv
Expert opinion & independent platforms
Essays, interviews, researchers' hypotheses. Food for thought and wider reading, not settled science.
We never sell weak evidence as certainty. When a piece sits low on the pyramid we say so: it is food for thought and wider reading, not settled science.
This is how we flag it on our content:
Why we do it is in the Manifesto. Read the Manifesto →