Scientific Literacy and Communication
This domain covers how science is written, read and evaluated. Questions ask you to recognise the parts of a report, judge whether a graph or table communicates data honestly, and interpret science as it appears in the media and in public debate.
Structure of a scientific report
- Title and abstract - the question and the finding in brief.
- Introduction - context, aim and hypothesis.
- Method - materials and procedure in enough detail to be reproduced.
- Results - the data, presented without interpretation.
- Discussion and conclusion - interpretation, sources of error, limits, next steps.
- References - sources credited so claims can be checked.
Presenting data honestly
Axes carry quantity and unit, scales are consistent, and no truncation exaggerates a change without a note. The same symbol means the same series across figures, and uncertainty is stated. A graph built to persuade may use a broken axis, a dramatic colour choice, or a sample so small that noise looks like a trend.
Reading media science
- Separate the finding from the headline. "Linked to" is not "causes".
- Ask about relative versus absolute risk: a rise from 1 in 100 000 to 2 in 100 000 is a 100 % increase but a tiny absolute change.
- Check the sample: mice, cultured cells or 20 volunteers rarely justify advice for everyone.
- Identify the source: press release, preprint, peer-reviewed article or marketing material.
Worked example
Headline: "Study proves coffee causes heart disease." The underlying study followed 5 000 adults for ten years and found that heavy coffee drinkers had more heart disease. Evaluation: the design is observational, so it shows association, not causation - heavy coffee drinkers may also differ in smoking, stress or sleep. The word "proves" is inappropriate; the defensible phrasing is "was associated with a higher incidence of". Without the absolute numbers, the size of the effect cannot be judged.
Traps
- Treating an association as a mechanism.
- Mixing results with interpretation when summarising a report.
- Using "significant" in its everyday sense when it means unlikely to be due to chance.
- Quoting a percentage change without the baseline value.
- Stating a conclusion without mentioning its limits and uncertainty.