Last week I helped out with a training session for new Ask For Evidence Ambassadors as part of an ongoing campaign by Sense About Science – here is the full blog.
We are constantly exposed to bold claims from marketing departments, in news stories and even within government policies. How many times do we just take these as truth? It’s easy to assume that if it’s there in black and white then surely there must be some research behind it.
The Ask for Evidence campaign believes you (yes you!) have not only the right, but also the power, to question claims that you come across. Whether that’s the evidence behind your local recycling policy, the face cream that claims to empower your skin to look younger, or an allergy test recommended by your pharmacist.
It is a positive and accessible campaign that aims to put evidence in the hands of anyone. As the campaign grows, help is needed to spread the word and to let people know how they can get involved – which is why Sense About Science, the charity behind the campaign, has recruited a group of early-career researchers to become Ask for Evidence Ambassadors.
Following a tough selection process with over one hundred applicants, ten researchers were selected to come together for a day at the British Pharmacological Society to learn more about the campaign and share why evidence matters to them.