Science Journalist Warns of Evidence Crisis as 7 Million Studies Published in 2025
In 2025, around 7 million scholarly articles were published, inundating the scientific literature with inconsistencies and unverified findings, as reported by science journalist and author of Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works (2026). In September 2025, the US FDA issued a warning regarding a supposed connection between acetaminophen and autism, which was based on selective research; however, a subsequent review revealed no definitive association. Gene Glass introduced meta-analysis in 1976, paving the way for systematic reviews, which Iain Chalmers further developed through the Cochrane Collaboration in 1993. These systematic reviews are vital for clinical guidelines, helping to avert disasters like SIDS, and other disciplines, such as climate science, are increasingly implementing these approaches despite obstacles like extended review durations and concerns over AI quality.
Key facts
- In 2025, about 7 million scholarly articles were published worldwide, more than 19,000 per day.
- The FDA's September 2025 warning label on acetaminophen (paracetamol) for pregnancy autism risk was based on cherry-picked studies, later contradicted by a major review.
- Gene Glass introduced meta-analysis in 1976 at the American Educational Research Association meeting in San Francisco.
- Glass and Mary Lee Smith analyzed over 370 psychotherapy studies to develop meta-analysis.
- Iain Chalmers co-founded the Cochrane Collaboration in 1993, which published around 2,000 systematic reviews within 10 years.
- A 2005 systematic review found the link between front-sleeping and SIDS was clear in 1970, potentially preventing at least 50,000 infant deaths.
- The Education Endowment Foundation's teaching and learning toolkit is used by nearly 70% of school leaders in England and adapted in over 30 countries.
- What Works Climate Solutions, started in 2024, is building an evidence bank for the IPCC's next assessment due by late 2029.
Entities
Artists
- Gene Glass
- Mary Lee Smith
- Hans Eysenck
- Iain Chalmers
- Archie Cochrane
- Benjamin Spock
Institutions
- US Food and Drug Administration
- Cochrane Collaboration
- American Educational Research Association
- International Initiative for Impact Evaluation
- CEEDER
- Education Endowment Foundation
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- What Works Climate Solutions
- Parks Canada
- Foundations of Success
Locations
- San Francisco
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Oxford
- Cardiff
- Wales
- Canada
- Jasper National Park
- Finland
- Europe
- Australasia