How to know if a theory is backed up by Science

It is likely you will read alot of theories on social media about what exercise to do or what kind of food or supplement to take, it can be hard to sort the good from the bad. In general you should be looking to read mainly scientific articles. The first step is to check the points below to determine whether the material you are reading is at minimum quality science.

It is not always easy to determine whether an author or source has authority and is accurate. However, you can do the following. Check if:

• The source has been peer-reviewed
• Many other sources cite the study (highly cited)
• The authors have academic qualifications
• The authors hold positions in sports or government departments or large-scale scientific or community organisations
• The authors have an established record of publications in that field, which would suggest that they have strong expertise in that area
• Details are provided on how information or data was collected.

If sources meet several of these criteria, they are more likely to be accurate and quality. However it is important to note this only makes it a good study, it does not mean that it is true or right, there are many studies that find many things and you still need to weigh up a range of research in the area.