Tool for Success—Being a Critical Reader
In this Tool for Success, you use a series of questions to evaluate an advertisement for a product that makes some scientific claims.
Step 1. Introduction to Assessing Scientific Claims
While reading a science-related article, you are a scientifically literate person if you aware of your own assumptions and the assumptions of the author. You have a respect for precision and have the ability to filter out the unimportant concepts from the important concepts. You also know that the body of scientific knowledge is constantly increasing and usually builds on previous theories. Have you ever seen an advertisement or article that promises you will have whiter teeth? These ads are everywhere, and they all seem to claim to be the best product at the best price. How can you tell if these claims are true? How do you even know if the product works?
