Media Claims and Evidence Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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In a news story about science, what is a claim?

A claim is a statement that something is true, for example that a food is healthy.

What is evidence in science?

Evidence is data or observations from studies or experiments that support or challenge a claim.

Why is it important to know the source of a media claim about science?

It helps you judge how trustworthy it is, for example if it comes from a scientific journal or just a blog.

Why does sample size matter when judging a media claim?

A study with many people is more reliable, because the result is less likely to be due to chance.

What is a control group in a scientific study?

It is a group that does not get the treatment, so scientists can compare and see if the treatment really had an effect.

What does it mean if scientific results are repeatable?

Other scientists can do the same study and get similar results, which makes the claim more reliable.

What is the difference between correlation and cause in media claims?

Correlation means two things change together, but one does not necessarily cause the other.

Why should we check who funded the research behind a media claim?

The funder may benefit from a certain result, which could make the claim biased.

Why does it matter if research was done on cells, animals or humans?

Results from cells or animals do not always apply to humans, so human tests give stronger evidence for claims about people.

Why can science headlines like miracle cure be misleading?

Headlines may exaggerate the findings, so you need to look at the details of the study and its evidence.

What is peer review in science?

Peer review is when other expert scientists check a study before it is published, to see if the methods and conclusions are sound.