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Research

Covering research preprints amid the coronavirus: 6 things to know

Source: JournalistsResource.org

As a new coronavirus spreads across continents, numerous biomedical researchers have turned their focus to the pandemic and its impacts. Online publishing platforms are helping them share what they’ve learned quickly so medical professionals, government leaders and others can respond more quickly to prevent, treat and control infections.

How journalists can spot bias in randomized clinical trials

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Randomized, controlled clinical trials are studies in which a new intervention, such as a medical device, is randomly assigned to some participants and tested against a control group, which receives a standard treatment or a placebo to determine its effects. They often are considered the gold standard of medical studies because they can provide evidence of causation.

Research-based tips for reporting on science research

Source: JournalistsResource.org

When journalists cover academic research, they often face the challenge of explaining complex scientific findings in a way the public trusts and understands.

Fittingly enough, there are researchers dedicated to the study of just that, producing knowledge that may help journalists better communicate other research findings.

13 questions journalists should ask to gauge the quality of a research study

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Academic research is one of journalists’ best tools for covering public policy issues. It’s also a tool that takes skill to use.

Experienced journalists use research to ground their work and fact-check claims made by politicians, policymakers and others. Many journalists, however, are not trained in research methods and statistical analysis. Some have difficulty differentiating between a quality study and a questionable one.

Can medical marijuana really play a role in easing the opioid epidemic?

Source: JournalistsResource.org

A recent study challenges the role that legalizing medical marijuana might play in easing the opioid epidemic.

The paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in June 2019, indicates that a previously reported relationship between medical marijuana laws and declining opioid overdose deaths has not held up over time.

The literature review and meta-analysis: 2 journalism tools you should use

Source: JournalistsResource.org

We’re republishing this article on research literature reviews and meta-analyses with permission from the Education Writers Association, which hired Journalist’s Resource’s managing editor, Denise-Marie Ordway, late last year to write it in her free time. Ordway is a veteran education reporter who joined the EWA’s board of directors in May.