I know you’ve been told to rely on the best sources, the peer reviewed journal articles. Then I read material suggesting that many scientific journal articles, which record experimental results, cannot have their results reproduced in independent labs.
The unspoken rule is that at least 50% of the studies published even in top tier academic journals – Science, Nature, Cell, PNAS, etc… – can’t be repeated with the same conclusions by an industrial lab. In particular, key animal models often don’t reproduce. This 50% failure rate isn’t a data free assertion: it’s backed up by dozens of experienced R&D professionals who’ve participated in the (re)testing of academic findings.
Bias and error, it seems, can be found anywhere–even in the peer-reviewed ranks. What can the diligent student do beyond despair? If anything, this assertion should emphasize how important it is to bolster your research-based writing with the widest possible selection of sources.