You need to read the paper with a critical eye . A big part of a paper should include the methodology used and potential sources of error or bias . This is what peer reviewers and other scientists pay attention to . The conclusions of the study is just a minor part but often what the journalists base their articles on . If you read the scientific papers and pay attention to what factors the scientists are studying and what they say their results mean then you have a pretty good understanding of the material . You should also look at other similar studies . It is not uncommon for two studies studying the same thing giving different results as there is a lot of random factors in a study . Even if someone have done everything in their powers to limit errors in their study and still get a sensational result you are likely not to trust the outcome of the single study but rather wait for others to replicate the study .