Using Scientific Literature to inform your opinions and decisions

I.  Your Assignment

This assignment is a follow-up for the "Is coffee good for you?"  assignment.  This time you will choose a topic or question of your own to do the same process with.  

To review the process:

Step 1) You will jot down you preconceived notion about the topic first with no research at all.

Step 2) Google the question/ topic and search the first 2 pages and summarize you findings in a paragraph or 2.

Step 3) Go to a peer reviewed journal search engine like PLOS or Google Scholar and do the same thing.

Step 4) Write a comparison of the results of the 2 different searches and a conclusion about you question/ topic based upon the comparison. 

II.  Peer Review

In the second half of the assignment you will do a peer review of the assignment, that must include you doing the same process, the Google search and the peer reviewed journal search for the same topic and see if you agree with the summary and conclusion of your peer.  Remember that you have to turn in the assignment on time to get assigned a peer to review. 

If you are wondering about possible topics or questions these could include:

Is the latest fad diet good for you?

Do supplements like creatine help improve your fitness?

Does the flu vaccine prevent the flu?

Is the mega-cleanse a good idea?

Does the organic label mean healthier food?