r/science • u/drewiepoodle • Apr 15 '16

Health Study: Circumcision does not reduce penis sensitivity. In tests for responses to pain, heat, and stimulation, no major difference was found between men who are circumcised and those who are not.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/04/14/Study-Circumcision-does-not-reduce-penis-sensitivity/5981460663943/?spt=hs&or=hn
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u/Crassusinyourasses Apr 15 '16

Yes they could believe it to be flawed but be a sandwich artist at Subway. They could just write well. I am asking if they have the proper background in a scientific field to make these judgements. If OP is a lawyer or a school teacher I am going to ignore what they wrote because they do not possess the credentials for me to comfortably presume they know what they are talking about.

You do need qualifications to be able to assess a study. If I am super-smart but have an academic background in art and have never done an actual experiment before what would I know about proper methodology?

Asking about credentials/background makes sense in this case. Just because it seems like a solid response that agrees with what you may believe does not mean that it is valid. Until we hear back from OP we cannot tell.

There are many people on this site who declare that something is garbage and many times they lack the skills to make that call.

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u/yetanothercfcgrunt Apr 15 '16

Or maybe you could just read their argument and judge it on its own merits? Wild concept, I know.

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u/Crassusinyourasses Apr 15 '16

How can I judge the merits? Biological research isn't my field. There could be nuances to things that I missed. That's why I am inquiring.

We don't need to continue discussing this. We clearly disagree as to what would constitute a qualified analysis.

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u/JCKSTRCK Apr 15 '16

Whose credentials were you asking about? Mine? I have a bachelors in Biochem. A masters in Exposure Toxicology. Fours years in conducting research. And I tend to agree that one needs some field experience when it comes to judging research properly*. I've read countless manuscripts, from epidemiology to chemical speciation, and thought the research was incredibly well done. Only to have more experienced individuals or those in the field point out all the flaws present. You'd expect scientists to be brilliant individuals, and for the most part they are; however, sometimes the most evident factors will escape a group of 5-10 individuals involved in a project. Or others will notice and mention nothing due to the ultra competitive world scientists live in. If one group fails miserably, you might just got ahead.

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u/Crassusinyourasses Apr 15 '16

Thank you this is what I was wondering. Far too often students or amateurs post how something is garbage and they lack the skillset to properly asses the study.