Ask The Methods Section

Have a health claim you can't make sense of? A study that's making headlines and you're not sure what to make of it? A question about how research works or what the evidence on a particular topic actually shows?

This is where to ask.

Each month, I select the best questions submitted by paid subscribers and answer them in a members-only post. The goal is the same as everything else at The Methods Section: not to tell you what to think, but to give you the tools to think about it more clearly.

What makes a good question

Questions that tend to make the best answers are ones where the evidence is genuinely contested, the headlines are getting ahead of the science, or the methodology matters a lot and isn't being explained. For example:

• "I keep seeing claims that X supplement reduces inflammation — is there anything to this?"
• "A study came out last week saying Y is linked to Z. Should I be worried?"
• "Why do experts seem to disagree so much about [topic]?"

Questions don't have to be about a specific study. Broader questions about how research works, how to interpret a type of evidence, or how to think about a particular area of science are equally welcome.

How it works

Submit your question using the form below. I read every submission and select questions each month that will be most useful to the wider subscriber community — so your question may help others, not just you. Selected questions are answered in a monthly members-only post delivered to your inbox.

Not every question will be selected, but all submissions are read and considered for future articles and guides.

Note: The Methods Section doesn’t provide individual advice or consultations. Please don’t include any personal, medical, or health details in your submission.