Actively seek out what you don’t know and be open to correcting previous understandings, as this continuous learning and self-correction are fundamental for scientific and human progress.
When evaluating medical interventions or research findings, focus on whether an action makes a meaningful difference to a patient or community, rather than solely on statistical significance.
For fields like epidemiology, conduct very large studies, analyze all relevant factors, join forces with other researchers to share data and protocols, and standardize analysis to maximize power, transparency, and credibility.
For randomized trials and other research, carefully pre-specify and register your hypotheses and protocols, ensuring they address clinically important and meaningful effect sizes, to establish transparent rules for the study.
Recognize that scientists are human and have beliefs; strive to map these beliefs, be transparent about them, and actively restrain their influence on research conduct and interpretation to maintain objectivity.
When seeking to establish causality, prioritize obtaining experimental evidence, such as well-designed randomized trials, as this is the most reliable approach.
In scientific fields, particularly those with high multiplicity, consider using a more stringent p-value threshold (e.g., 0.005 or 10^-8) instead of the traditional 0.05 to reduce false positives.
Do not conduct small, underpowered studies, as they are likely to produce false positive results or grossly exaggerate the magnitude of any detected signals.
When working with large datasets, be aware that studies can be overpowered, leading to statistically significant results that lack clinical meaning and may simply be measuring bias.
Actively impose safeguards throughout the research process to minimize the chances of fooling yourself, which is the most important rule in science for maintaining honesty and integrity.
Instead of reporting on one nutrient or exposure at a time, analyze all collected exposures and outcomes simultaneously, reporting results that account for multiplicity and correlation, to achieve a more transparent and complete picture.
Consider using Mendelian randomization studies, which leverage genetic instruments, to create designs that are functionally equivalent to randomized trials, thereby enhancing the credibility of signals from observational research.
To enhance the credibility of research findings, especially in fields like nutrition, employ two or three independent analyst teams to analyze the same data and confirm consistent results.
When applying Austin Bradford Hill’s criteria for causality, do so with temperance and caution, understanding that none of them are bulletproof rules and that nature’s operations can be unpredictable.
When evaluating dietary or other interventions, recognize that a diet or treatment is not truly better if people cannot adhere to it in real-life circumstances, as adherence is part of effectiveness.
To gain insights into efficacy, run randomized trials under very controlled, supervised circumstances (e.g., in a clinic) with stringent monitoring of diet and physiological responses, to understand optimal treatment under ideal conditions.
Work to realign incentives in science away from producing ‘striking’ results from small studies and towards supporting high-risk, definitive research, even if it has a high chance of failing, to truly advance knowledge.
Communicate scientific findings to the public with honesty, clarity, and without exaggerated promises, defending scientific methods and principles against non-scientific claims and populist attacks.
Advocate for protecting scientists from personal attacks and vitriol, ensuring they can disseminate their objective scientific findings without fear of reprisal, especially in highly polarized environments.
Cultivate a love for and understanding of mathematics, as it forms the foundation for many scientific endeavors and can transform approaches to complex questions, enabling significant progress.
In medicine and other fields, integrate rigorous scientific methods with quantitative approaches and tools to obtain reliable evidence and make a meaningful difference for human beings.
Embrace the role of a scientist as a continuous process of reinvention, constantly searching for new frontiers, new questions, and new ways to correct errors and improve upon previous understanding.
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