ICYR Reading Room

For parents, teachers and students

Read the study, not just the headline.

"New study links phones to anxiety." "Reading to toddlers boosts IQ." Research about children reaches most of us through a headline. These guides explain, in plain language, how to judge what's underneath, and the checklist below helps you decide how much weight one study deserves.

Study checklist

Answer what you can about one study. "Not sure" is a fine answer, and it counts. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

1 What kind of study is it?
2 How many children or young people took part?
3 Which ages did it study, and which ages do you care about?
4 Who paid for it?
5 Where was it published?
6 Does it show cause, or only that two things go together?
7 Has anyone found the same thing? (optional)

Six guides

  1. 1Study types explained, from case reports to meta-analysesWhat each research design can and can't tell you.
  2. 2Correlation and causation in screen-time headlinesWhy "linked to" isn't "causes", using screen-time news as the example.
  3. 3Sample size, and why it matters in studies of childrenHow many children is enough, and why who they are matters more.
  4. 4Research ethics and consent when studies involve minorsPermission, assent, ethics boards, and what parents can ask.
  5. 5How to find open-access research for free, legallyLegal routes past paywalls, and what to check once you're in.
  6. 6How to read a news story about a study on kidsFrom headline to original paper in ten minutes.

Why this exists

Most parents and teachers meet research secondhand: in a headline, a school newsletter, a social media post or a conversation at pickup. Very little of that tells you how the study was done. Yet a few plain questions, the same ones researchers ask each other, separate a strong finding from a weak one most of the time.

The Reading Room doesn't tell you what to conclude about any particular study, and it isn't a source of medical or psychological advice. It teaches the questions. For decisions about a specific child, talk to a doctor, teacher or other professional who knows them.

Latest note: Relative risk and absolute risk, with one worked example

Common questions

How can I tell if a study about children is trustworthy?
Look at the design, the size and age of the sample, who paid for it, whether it was peer reviewed, and whether it shows cause or only an association. No single item settles it. The study checklist on this page combines them into a plain verdict and a list of questions to ask.
Is a peer-reviewed study always right?
No. Peer review means other researchers read the paper before publication and found it reasonable. It catches many problems but not all, and reviewers usually don't see the raw data. Peer-reviewed findings still need to be repeated by other teams before they're treated as settled.
Why do studies about screen time seem to contradict each other?
Many of them measure different things (hours, types of use, ages, outcomes), and most are observational, so they show associations that can run in either direction. Small effects can look large in a headline. The screen-time guide explains how to read these studies.
Who runs the ICYR Reading Room?
A small independent editorial team. The site was relaunched in 2026 and is not affiliated with the International Childhood and Youth Research Network, any university or any research organization. It publishes guides, not research.