Rules for Diet Advocacy and Clinical Trials

1. Get the full text of the study and at least skim it

(hint: start with the tables and graphs in the results section, then work your way back through the methods, etc.)  before taking to social media or your blog to tout it.   Don't have access?  Here are my tips to get it:

1. First check if it is free.  Sometimes it is!  NO excuses there!  
2. Use scholar.google.com to search on the title.  Look in the column on the right  See that [PDF]?  Click on that link ... someone is already sharing it.
3. Ask the person who Tweeted, messaged, blogged, etc. for it.
4. Ask a friend who might have access.  (I have an extensive network at this point.  Cultivate your own, but if you consider me a friend and I you, well ... you know the drill).
5. Email the corresponding author and ask.  It will usually land in your Inbox shortly.  I reserve this as a last resort because I don't want to take up researchers' time, but the few times I have done this have been fruitful.

2.  If Using a Clinical Trial to Promote the Diet You Advocate:

• Make sure the diet implemented is the diet you actually advocate
• Make sure the subjects followed the diet
• Make sure the results are worth mentioning

3. If Using a Clinical Trial to Criticize a Diet You Oppose:

• Make sure the diet implemented is the diet you actually oppose
• Make sure the subjects followed the diet
• Make sure the results are worth mentioning

That is all.