Red Flags in [Scientific] Journalism
Don't let yourselves be fooled by your brains' desires to believe what you already want (aka confirmation bias ). Here's a checklist, with an emphasis on scientific articles, you can use until you get the hang of spotting journalistic red flags . Does the article mention specific names and dates when referencing scientific studies? Articles that refer to everything as "studies" and "scientists" aren't being forthcoming with their information because they likely have none. Articles that try to use science to justify their own beliefs often use this tactic to keep you from performing investigative work, hoping you'll just take their word for it ... don't! Example: Studies Prove How Human Emotions Shape Physical Reality Are there citations at the end of the article or within the article? If not, move on... articles that don't site their references likely either have no references or are hiding their questionable references. Al...