How to spot bias in randomized clinical trials
Joanna Chikwe highlights strategies that trials might employ in hopes of securing favorable results – and questions journalists can ask to detect them.
Know Your Research
Tip sheets and explainers to help journalists understand academic research methods, find and recognize high-quality research, and avoid missteps when reporting on new studies and public opinion polls
Expert Commentary
Research-based tips for reporting on science research
Understand that terms that are now part of the common lexicon, such as “climate change,” or “gun control,” are the product of strategic framing.
Expert Commentary
Statistics for journalists: Understanding what effect size means
Five tips for understanding and interpreting effect size — a measure of the strength of an association between two variables.
Expert Commentary
The literature review and meta-analysis: 2 journalism tools you should use
Reporters can get up to date on a public policy issue quickly by reading a research literature review or meta-analysis. This article from the Education Writers Association explains how to find and use them.
Expert Commentary
7 big things you should know about the monthly jobs report
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a jobs report every month. Here are key facts journalists should know before reporting on it.
Expert Commentary
3 steps to determine whether a medical study is newsworthy
With the amount of research published on a daily basis, journalists have to work to discern what’s worth covering. Here’s a general guide.
Expert Commentary
Covering political polls: A cautionary research roundup
Journalist’s Resource rounds up some of the latest political polling research as Joe Biden jumps into the 2020 presidential race.
Expert Commentary
Covering viral research: Tips from Harvard’s ‘6 french fries’ guy
Eric Rimm reflects on his viral comments about French fries, offering pointers for how to cover research that’s getting a lot of media attention.
Expert Commentary
The margin of error: 7 tips for journalists covering polls and surveys
To help journalists understand margin of error and how to correctly interpret data from surveys and polls, we’ve put together a list of seven tips, including clarifying examples.
Expert Commentary
7 ways journalists can access academic research for free
A lot of academic research exists behind paywalls. We outline seven ways reporters can get free access to high-quality scholarship.
Expert Commentary