What is "Bad Science?"
“Bad science” is a misuse of scientific research. It is when data is not fully taken into account and meaningful conclusions are not drawn from research findings. Research should be objective. Instead, in the case of "bad science," personal motivations and ideals corrupt the research process or how research findings are presented, and it is often utilized to support a conspiracy theory. It also often intentionally neglects other perspectives and deliberately selects evidence in favor of its conclusions.
To the average reader, "bad science" may be difficult to distinguish. It is not always written using limited vocabulary words, and it is not always glaringly non-scientific. It may present an overwhelming amount of data, so the conclusions drawn may seem to be based on well-grounded scientific research. "Bad science" may appear to be as official as any published scientific work, and the author may write in a confident tone and use scientific words that envelope the article in a false sense of credibility. Unfortunately, a confident tone has a strong potential to sway individuals who are less practiced with recognizing bias in research.
In our Biological Anthropology course, we stumbled upon an example of a "bad science" website (https://realhumanhistory.weebly.com/). Our class was appalled. Check it out if you're prepared for utter disbelief. (Warning: You might want to chuck your laptop out a window after a mere glance at this website!) Given how much misinformation exists on the internet, we set out to identify and critique other “bad science” websites. Upon searching the web, I found https://www.ageofautism.com/. Follow along to see how this website fits our description of “bad science!”
Why should we debunk it?
With so much information out there on the internet, it can be challenging to decipher which information is true and which is false. "Bad science" preys on an unaware audience, and misinformation can have detrimental effects. My website, therefore, is created for people who could fall prey to such "bad science" in the hope that they learn to identify "bad science" and to not fall prey to it.
It is also important for those who are well-versed in scientific research to continue to carefully evaluate emerging research and to make an active effort to stay informed. It’s difficult to be vigilant all of the time, but it's important to try to watch out for red flags and to inform others when you do see them. My website is therefore also tailored to individuals with a scientific background.
So, look deeper, weigh the evidence, and remember, identifying "bad science" is not as simple as following a checklist because it comes in many forms. If you ever find yourself unsure of whether a source is credible or not, make these doubts known. Conduct a thorough search, reach out to other people, recognize that we're all human, and most important of all: don't remain silent!