Evaluating the Effectiveness of Antibacterial Soap (continued)

The answers to these questions should help you decide whether or not to accept the claims being made in the above story.

Is the person making the claim an expert in that particular area of science?

Answer

No, he is a salesperson, not a scientist.

Does the product work the way it is supposed to?

Answer

Possibly; however, colourful graphs do not show the full validity of his study.

How do you know the product works safely?

Answer

0.01% may seem like a small number. However, if 1 million people use the soap, then 100 of them will get the flesh-eating disease. For this claim to be meaningful, it is important to compare the 0.01% figure with the rate at which people not using the soap contract the disease. In experimentation, this is called introducing a control, and you will learn more about it later.

Did the evidence being presented come from scientific experiments that support the product, or just from personal testimonials?

Answer

The evidence came just from testimonials.

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