Research & Mechanisms
How to read a trial abstract, weigh evidence by study type, understand basic statistics, and recognize publication bias. Complete all 4 lessons and pass the quiz to earn your Research & Mechanisms certificate.
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Reading a Trial Abstract
A worked example using a real, published Phase 3 trial — how to pull population, design, and results out of an abstract.
8 min
Evidence Hierarchies: From Cell Culture to Clinical Trials
Why an in-vitro finding, an animal study, and a randomized trial don’t carry the same evidentiary weight — and how to tell which you’re reading.
7 min
Statistical Literacy: What “Significant” Really Means
P-values, effect size, and confidence intervals — and why statistically significant isn’t the same as practically meaningful.
7 min
Publication Bias and the File-Drawer Problem
Why null results are underrepresented in the published literature, and how that skews the evidence you actually get to read.
6 min