How we pick research

Most studies never make it onto Blue Headline. Here is how we decide which ones do, and how we check them.

1. We look widely

We scan new research across many fields: journals, preprint servers and major reviews.

We look for findings that are new, overlooked, or newly clear because the evidence got stronger.

2. Every study faces the same questions

Before we write a word, we answer six questions:

1. The finding. What did the research actually establish?
2. The payoff. What will you understand better, or be able to do differently?
3. The evidence. How credible is it, and does it apply to real people?
4. What’s new. Does it add something we haven’t already covered?
5. The timing. Why now, and will it still be useful later?
6. The call. Write it, update an older article, watch it, or skip it.

A catchy result with weak evidence fails. So does a strong study with nothing in it for a reader.

3. We read the paper

We read the research itself, including the methods and the limitations, not just the press release.

We check who took part, what they were compared with, how big the effect was, and how certain it is.

We say whether a study is peer-reviewed or a preprint. When only the summary is available, we say so.

4. We look at what came before

One study is one piece of a bigger picture. Every article includes a section on what earlier research found, starting with reviews that pool many studies.

If the new result goes against the rest of the evidence, we tell you.

5. We write it plainly and honestly

• Real numbers, not just percentages: “2 in 100 people”, not only “twice the risk”.
• A link found in data is not proof that one thing causes another. We keep the two apart.
• Results in mice or in a lab are not results in people. We say which it is.
• For health topics, we don’t turn one early study into advice about treatment, supplements or doses.

6. We show our sources and fix mistakes

Every article links to the original research, so you can check it yourself.

We never invent numbers, quotes or experiences. If we get something wrong, tell us through the contact page and we’ll correct it.

What we don’t do

• Rewrite press releases.
• Take money to cover a study, or use affiliate links.
• Publish to fill a schedule. No good research that day means no article.