Every day the newspapers have stories about 'the latest scientific breakthrough'. But how do you tell if the latest paper is novel and ground breaking, or just a load of nonsense? Critically appraising scientific papers used to be a specialist skill, but it's something anyone can do.

What is good quality evidence? What is statistically significant? Just what is a p value?

Stephen is a clinical lecturer in Geriatric Medicine at Glasgow University where his role combines research into aging and clinical practice, and has just finished writing up his PhD.