Doctors and patients need as much data as possible to make an informed decision about what treatment is best.
Ben GoldacreHomeopathy pills are, after all, empty little sugar pills which seem to work, and so they embody [..] how we can be misled into thinking that any intervention is more effective than it really is.
Ben GoldacrePositive findings are around twice as likely to be published as negative findings. This is a cancer at the core of evidence-based medicine.
Ben GoldacreScience has authority not because of white coats or titles, but because of precision and transparency: you explain your theory, set out your evidence, and reference the studies that support your case.
Ben GoldacreMost bloggers have no institutional credibility, and so they must build it, by linking transparently, and allowing you to easily double check their work. But more than anything, because linking sources is such an easy thing to do, and the motivations for avoiding links are so dubious, I've detected myself using a new rule of thumb: if you don't link to primary sources, I just don't trust you.
Ben Goldacre