Once you are satisfied that the news report came to you from a credible source, then you can be more confident that it will be worth the effort to track down the original medical study the media reports are based on.
You can look for the original study or the study's summary, known as an abstract. Simply do an Internet search for the name of the journal that reported the study, or the names of the researchers, plus a few key words from the study. You might include the disease studied, the drug name, or another term that will help you hone in on the study itself.
If you can't or don’t want to access it online, or if you find there is a cost involved, then you may be able to obtain a copy at less or no cost from your local library. Write down the publication's name, the publication date, and any other information you can find about that particular study's publication. Take that information to your librarian and ask if she can locate a copy for you.
The next step is establishing the objectivity of the organization that did the study.
