Research Literacy: Being Informed and Empowered as a Consumer
Much of our interaction with toxicology and consumerism hinges on our ability to use our resources to research. Safety, interactions with our physiology, necessity of use, ingredient purposes, and efficacy are all important aspects to understand within each product we put in, on, or around our bodies. There are many ways to engage ourselves and use the resources we have access to to find necessary information and aid us in making safe decisions for ourselves and our families.
Using the Free Tools at our Disposal
Using the internet, there are many different avenues of seeking information that don’t involve working against search engine algorithms. You could surely try a simple google search, but it has been publicly discussed that most companies to host search engines will stifle information that doesn’t fit the approved consensus. For more information on altered search results, this investigation by the Wall Street Journal can offer some insight.
If you attended a community college, university, or other certification program, you can access free digital libraries hosted by the school. They pay for access to a wide range of resources that may have otherwise been “paywalled.” These can often be found at the bottom of the school home page. There are free digital libraries like Openlibrary.org, Digital Public Library of America, or Questia that don’t require any enrollment in an educational institution. These can offer articles, news pieces, peer reviewed studies, ebooks, and medical journals. You can research through Pubmed, which is a free digital library accessible to all, hosted by the United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institute of Health. This database guarantees abstracts for each research piece, meaning it briefly describes the question and findings, but many pieces actually allow access to the entire resource (versus being paywalled). Some may like this option because many of the Pubmed resources are peer reviewed and/or randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Many Pubmed articles include a variety of supporting resources at the bottom of the page, that you may find are closely related to your scope of research.
Investing in Our Research
Depending on the topic and it’s importance, you may choose to invest more than just time into your research. There are many ways to do this - and you can choose different avenues based on your research goals:
There are typically plenty of research-based books that are available for purchase. You can find these through internet sites that sell new and used versions for purchase or rent, in-person book shops, or even secondhand thrift stores. To approach research in a more budget-friendly way (as long as the research isn’t time sensitive), you can create a book wishlist and scour the book section at the thrift store. I have found plenty of dense research-based material I was already looking for by checking those sections, that would’ve otherwise been purchased new.
There are some digital libraries you can access with payment, however others rely on your belonging to a certain organization or school. Some free sites may ask for contributions to maintain their status as an open resource. Specific medical journals can be paywalled at times, but if it closely pertains to your research subject you may find that it would be beneficial to access it. Always try other access points before purchasing a paywalled resource.
Many community colleges offer inexpensive online courses on information literacy, critical thinking, and research methods. These courses can guide you through research options and teach you how to use the many tools at your disposal. This will also give you access to the institutions digital libraries by being enrolled. You can check your local community college, as many offer in-person or remote online courses regarding sourcing, analyzing conflicts of interest, accessing different forms of research, and how to compile your research together into an annotated bibliography. These courses can span 8 or 16 weeks long.
The Basics
Most research literacy experts work through quantitative research design - using inductive reasoning to form a hypothesis/question, collecting data, and forming an analysis to conclude whether your original hypothesis was true or false. There are various types of quantitative research that seek to develop different points within the subject.
Descriptive research seeks to detail, explain, synthesize information (ex. “carbon sequestration using rotationally-grazed cattle”)
Correlational research works to determine a relationship between multiple variables (ex. “xenoestrogens and phthalates”)
Causal-comparative research attempts to identify cause and and effect patterns between variables without manipulation (ex. “fragrance-related endocrine disruption”)
Experimental research manipulates variables to identify cause and effect patterns (ex. “acupuncture for breast cancer”)
Different research scopes will necessitate different research types, so its important to be familiar with each of them. Using phrases that include key portions of your research question can help to narrow down your search. Start with a concise phrase, and depending on your pool of results you can further adjust your original question. For correlational research, seeking “xenoestrogens and phthalates” without detailing their connection can provide a basis of which articles attempt to prove or disprove their correlation. For experimental research, you’re actively seeking a controlled study with manipulated variables to observe a potential change when presented with stimulus.
Using Our Observations
Many products with high amounts of toxins are not acutely harmful, but can work to your detriment over the years. When you begin to find and use a product that’s been recommended, or you’ve used your research skills to discern that it is a safe product - you may find that it still doesn’t work with you. We can use our observational skills to monitor the way something interacts with our bodies, and adjust accordingly.
Each person will metabolize food, skincare products, cleaning supplies, fragrance, and supplements very differently. Many natural items may not work for everyone, and nothing is guaranteed to be one-size-fits-all. Using what we gather from direct, anecdotal observation is just as important. These observations can guide us in making informed decisions.
Respecting Our Intuition
At times we are left to merely rely on our intuition. It can be a gift in times of need and its important to honor that. Maybe you have no internet access and need to find the answer to a question - or maybe its the middle of the night and you’re avoiding panic-googling. If something doesn’t feel right, regardless of the research backing it, it could be beneficial to follow that voice and see what it tells you. Not every choice will fit each individual or family’s needs - which is when we can adjust according to the circumstance.
Respecting our Limits
Like our intuition, our limits are a gift. Respecting these limits are just as important as any of the other aforementioned methods and concepts. Delving into a world of research after realizing so many of our products can contain acutely and chronically harmful toxins can be scary, overwhelming, and potentially compulsive. It is unfortunately very common for people to completely occupy their minds and time with deeply educational and dense information upon first findings, despite what healthy limits your body may be presenting - this was true for me when learning about synthetic fragrance for the first time.
If you find yourself feeling overly worrisome, having trouble relinquishing control, and/or presenting your research findings in an unfavorably intense way to others - these are signs you may need to step away from your findings and return to research when you’re feeling safe and regulated.
Conscious Sharing
One of the main takeaways when looking at our relationship to research, is how we can use the tools we have to present information in a functional, healthy way. The desire to share information is a very natural consequence of learning more about subjects that interest us - and it is equally important to respect the noted boundaries of those around us.
You may find research that deeply contradicts the ways that many of your family members, friends, or community members engage in lifestyle-related behaviors, eating habits, and more. In intimate conversations, research is best presented when expressly asked. Each circumstance and relationship is different however, so its important to use your better judgment to question if your research findings have a remarkable place in the conversation. In times where it is appropriate, presenting evidence may be the best way to show a product can be harmful, rather than speaking from opinion. In less intimate settings (i.e. social media), its best to present information in a way that purely explains the points being made. Potential condescension, snide remarks, or judgment can be sure ways to override the possible importance of your research sharing.
Final Thoughts
Our ability to research is a gift, and we can use these tools to the benefit of ourselves and our family. Feeling empowered in our choices can help us to feel safer and more resolved, with a deeper sense of clarity and confidence.
Everyone deserves to have informed consent with the products they use and love. Empowering people to research is an integral concept to this business, so that we can continue to increase ingredient and sourcing transparency in this industry, encouraging informed decisions for all!