Begin with the claim
Ask exactly what a statement says. A proposed molecular mechanism, a change in a laboratory marker and a demonstrated clinical benefit require different kinds of support. A citation should support the particular statement beside it.
Identify the research setting
- Cell or biochemical studies: explore interactions under controlled laboratory conditions.
- Animal studies: examine effects in an organism, with limits when translating to people.
- Human observational studies: report associations or clinical experiences; confounding may influence the result.
- Controlled trials: compare defined interventions in a specified population.
- Reviews: bring studies together; conclusions depend on the underlying evidence and methods.
Read beyond the headline
Check the comparator, sample size, outcome definition, adverse-event reporting and follow-up. Also check whether the tested formulation and route match the profile you are reading. Missing adverse-event reports are not proof that a compound is safe.
Our evidence labels
Source documents are labeled by resource type. This is not a clinical evidence grade. Independent review dates are shown only when a review is recorded. Where a claim has not been independently assessed, that limitation remains visible.
Further reading
FDA — Clinical research and Trends in peptide drug discovery.