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July 13, 2005

Study Says that Studies Aren't Accurate 33% of the Time!

Whoa! Who to believe here? Barely a day goes by that the public is not bombarded from all media sources about one study or another about the dangers, problems, corruption, and "debunking" of anything or anyone being good, noble, or true.However this study says about one out of three are wrong, or are partisan propaganda, or are so badly flawed or unscientific as to be worthless.

Except of course to sell papers, give radio, TV, bloggers, and so forth something to scream, argue, and debate ad nauseum. Politicians and special interest flacks love these "studies" no matter how questionable or dubious the scholarship or their lack of scientific rigor. Why shouldn't they? Get the study from the think-tank, call a press conference, send out a press release, blog it, and then sit back and watch what happens.

It creates buzz and spin and then is gone, old news. However, if done right the talking points or memes are out there in the culture keeping the pundits and pols in business and moving whatever agenda they have forward.

" 'Contradicted and potentially exaggerated findings are not uncommon," said the CNN news story, "in the most visible and most influential original clinical research,' said study author Dr. John Ioannidis, a researcher at the University of Ioannina in Greece." Despite that fact these studies are reported accepted at face value by the public in most cases.

"The general public should not panic" about refuted studies, Ioannidis said. "We all need to start thinking more critically." Boy and how.

Posted by Ali Massoud at July 13, 2005 08:52 PM

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