Evidence ratings
Four filled squares means multiple meta-analyses agree. One means we are reasoning from mechanism.
Every answer carries a rating so you know how much weight to put on it. The rating describes the evidence, not our confidence in the phrasing.
| Rating | Squares | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Strong | 4 | Multiple meta-analyses or large RCTs point the same way. |
| Moderate | 3 | Consistent controlled evidence, limited in size or scope. |
| Limited | 2 | Few or small studies; mechanistic or observational support. |
| Mixed | 2 | Good studies disagree, so the rating stays low. |
| Theoretical | 1 | Reasoned from mechanism or field practice, not direct data. |
| Definitional | 4 | Not an empirical claim but a definition, standard, or conversion. |
Mixed and Limited share two squares deliberately. They are different problems (one is a lack of data, the other a conflict in it), but they warrant the same caution.
A Theoretical rating means nobody has run the study yet, not that the answer is likely to be wrong.