The Research Archive
Short videos, plain language guides, and trusted sources on how research works, so you can read it, question it, and understand it for yourself.
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Every video from the series, in one place.
How to read research
Six questions worth asking about any study you come across.
Who or what was studied?
Look at the sample. Was it people, animals, or cells in a dish? How many? Results from a small group, or from a different species, may not apply to you or to anyone else.
Was there a comparison group?
Without a control group, there is no way to tell whether the thing being tested caused the result or whether it would have happened anyway. Randomized groups are the strongest design.
Is it correlation or cause?
Two things moving together does not mean one causes the other. Look for language like "associated with" versus "caused," and ask what else could explain the pattern.
Has anyone repeated it?
One study is a starting point, not a conclusion. Findings that hold up across several independent teams are far more trustworthy than a single exciting result.
Who paid for it?
Funding does not automatically make a study wrong, but it is worth knowing. Check the disclosures section for funders and for any conflicts of interest.
Where was it published?
Peer reviewed journals add a layer of expert scrutiny, while preprints have not been reviewed yet. Neither is a guarantee, so read the methods and not just the headline.
Key terms
The vocabulary you will see most often.
- Peer review
- Experts in the field evaluate a study before it is published. It improves quality but does not guarantee the findings are correct.
- Randomized controlled trial
- Participants are randomly assigned to groups so the effect of one factor can be isolated from everything else.
- Meta analysis
- A method that combines the results of many studies to look for an overall pattern.
- Preprint
- A study shared publicly before peer review. Useful for speed, but treat the conclusions as preliminary.
- Sample size
- The number of participants or observations. Small samples tend to give less reliable results.
Verified Laboratory Data
Certificates of analysis from independent third party laboratories, linked so you can check them yourself.
The Research Archive is operated by the founders of Vexum Labs. The certificates below are for Vexum Labs research materials and lots.
How to read a certificate of analysis
Identity confirms the compound is what it claims to be, usually by mass spectrometry. Purity is the share of the sample that is the target compound. Net content is the amount of compound measured in the sample. Safety screens, such as endotoxin and sterility tests, check for contamination. Results apply only to the sample that was tested.
Resources
Trusted places to read the original research and check claims for yourself.
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