How a study becomes an explanation.
We want you to understand the result and be able to check how it was reached.
Start with the question
A topic begins with a specific question. We identify the claims needed to answer it and the data that could support those claims. A press release or video may point to a finding; we look for the actual evidence in the original paper or authoritative original document.
Every important claim gets an evidence location
Our research connects claims to sources and specific evidence locations. Short references in the website text lead to annotated key sources. These bring together study design, findings, and limitations. The full register also includes context and further research sources.
More sources do not automatically mean more independent evidence
Several articles may report the same study. Two papers may come from the same laboratory, and several meta-analyses may include the same cohorts. We do not treat such evidence as independent replication. Original studies, reviews, scholarly commentaries, abstracts, and preprints have different roles.
Numbers need context
A number needs its unit, comparison group, time period, and uncertainty. Our study checks distinguish relative measures from absolute event rates. The absence of a statistically clear association does not prove an effect is exactly zero. An observational study alone does not establish the cause of a difference.
Visualisations should improve understanding
Our own diagrams illustrate processes. We label them as illustrations when they do not show measured data. For reproduced figures and excerpts, we check the specific usage rights and required attribution. Free access to a paper does not automatically permit every use of its images.
Video and website share the same research
Science in Reach is the English brand; Wissen im Detail is its German sister. Research, sources, and suitable graphics are maintained together. Text, image labels, and edits are adapted to each language. A source does not receive a new identity for each language.
Disclose AI use
AI can help with drafts, structure, code, and visualisation. It replaces neither an original source nor editorial review. Explanations with synthetic narration are labelled accordingly. An AI-generated draft is not used as independent evidence.
What we correct and update
If a claim proves incorrect or new evidence changes its interpretation, we document the affected claim and the change. Minor wording revisions are distinct from substantive corrections. On our corrections page we explain the process.