Need
Could the goal be reached without buying a product or adding another intervention?
The NST methodology
Trust requires a process people can see.
NST is designed to separate evidence, interpretation, practical guidance, and commercial relationships as clearly as possible.
Research process
From question to useful guidance.
The goal is not to collect the largest number of sources. It is to find the evidence that best addresses the decision and explain it in context.
01
Define the real question
Identify the decision a person is trying to make, the outcome they want, and the context that may change the answer.
02
Gather relevant evidence
Look for appropriate primary research, systematic reviews, consensus guidance, and useful supporting sources.
03
Assess the evidence
Consider study quality, relevance, consistency, limitations, population, outcomes, and the size of any observed effect.
04
Translate with context
Explain what the findings may mean in practice without presenting uncertain evidence as a guaranteed result.
05
Compare realistic options
Evaluate suitability, tradeoffs, cost, usability, alternatives, and whether an intervention or product is needed at all.
06
Review and update
Revisit published guidance when stronger evidence, important corrections, or meaningful product changes become available.
Evidence standards
A source is not the same as an answer.
Evidence must be evaluated for relevance and reliability before it can support a conclusion.
- Does the source directly address the question?
- Who participated, and does that population match the intended reader?
- What outcome was measured, and is it practically meaningful?
- How strong, consistent, and precise are the findings?
- What limitations or conflicts should be made visible?
- Does the conclusion go beyond what the evidence supports?
Recommendations and comparisons
A recommendation comes last. Understanding comes first.
Suitability
Who may benefit, who may not need it, and who should seek qualified professional guidance?
Evidence
Is the claimed benefit supported, plausible but uncertain, or primarily based on marketing?
Tradeoffs
What are the limitations, costs, practical burdens, risks, and reasonable alternatives?
Transparency
Are commercial relationships and the basis for the recommendation clearly disclosed?
Testing status
Has NST physically tested the product, or is the assessment based on cited evidence and verified product information? The page should state this plainly.
What reviewed means
A named person checked it, within limits.
When a page says it was reviewed, the named reviewer is currently Gabriel Silva, a sports science student and the founder of North Star Theory. His profile explains what that credential does and does not mean.
The four checks
- 01Claims, numbers, populations and limitations are checked against the cited sources.
- 02Practical guidance is checked so it does not promise results or drift into unsupported medical advice.
- 03Conflicting evidence, unsupported statements and unfinished editorial notes are resolved before approval.
- 04The finished page is checked, including citations, links, disclosures and plain-language wording.
A review is
- A recorded check. A page is shown as reviewed only when it has a reviewer's name, a review date that is not in the future and a next review date.
- Time-limited. When the next review date passes, the page is removed from the public site automatically until it is reviewed again.
- Tied to fresh sources. For articles, guides and comparisons, every evidence record must itself be reviewed and every source must have been checked within the last 180 days.
- Tied to fresh product facts. A product page is shown only if its product facts were checked within the last 90 days.
A review is not
- Independent. There is currently one reviewer, and that reviewer is also the founder. No independent second reviewer is recorded.
- A medical review. The reviewer's credential is not a medical qualification, and a review is not individual advice, diagnosis or treatment.
- A guarantee. A review date says when a page was last checked. It does not mean the evidence cannot change or that the page contains no errors.
- Hands-on product testing. Product pages show hands-on testing as not claimed, and a review does not change that.
Each published research, guide, comparison and product page shows who reviewed it, when it was last verified and when its next review is due. If something on a page is wrong, the corrections policy and log explain how to report it and where corrections are recorded.
Transparency
Commercial support should remain visible.
Affiliate links may support NST without changing the price paid by the reader. Their presence should be disclosed, and they should not determine whether an option is recommended.