Click image to read the PDF.

Click image to read the PDF.

Two Washington State University extension specialists have released a free guide to help readers wade through the sometimes confusing and controversial world of science.

Called “Scientific Literacy for the Citizen Scientist,” the publication describes the scientific method, defines common scientific terminology and offers a checklist of criteria for scrutinizing scientific claims, such as source credibility and topical relevance. The online version also offers video links.

It was written by Linda Chalker-Scott and Catherine H. Daniels, extension horticulturists from Washington State University in Puyallup.

They originally intended the manuscript as a module for the university’s Master Naturalist program but decided to release it as an extension manual, as they “thought it was applicable to everyone, not just this curriculum,” Chalker-Scott said.

Go online: http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/EM100E/EM100.pdf to view the document. (Editor’s note: The link published in this story in the August 2017 issue did not work, we regret the error.)