Some ideas for critically reading GITN

1. Skip the headline. Beware over-the-top headlines

2. Think about the origin of the article.

Does the publication or website have credibility?
Does the author have a positive reputation? Scientific credentials?

3. Is enough information provided to easily identify the original research? Are

links to the manuscript and author names/affiliations included?

4. Who is quoted in the article? Are sources explicitly stated? Is there more than one
source? Is it only people involved in the research or are other experts consulted? What
are the sources interests in the story? What are their potential biases?

5. Pay attention to word choice. Always keep in mind the fact that words like
“correlated,” “associated,” and “linked” do not equal cause. Neither does “risk.” Do the
claims seem hyperbolic or carefully reasoned? Overly strong language and unqualified
conclusions are red flags.

6. Pay special attention to statistics and graphs. Do the statistics provided address
the relevant questions? Are graph axes missing or misleading (e.g., don’t start at 0)?

7. Pay attention to sample sizes. e.g., are they saying a cure has been found for a
disease, but they only successfully used it on 1 or 2 people?