The first ninety days
of a research question

Why the window matters

Early measurements can show feasibility, tolerability, or a short-term signal. They rarely answer whether a result lasts, matters to daily life, or applies across different populations. The calendar is part of study design.

When reading a paper, look for the planned outcome, comparison group, missing data, and what happened after the first observation window. “Improved” is incomplete without knowing what changed and for whom.

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Compare topic summaries in the Research Library, or read the Journal for essays on how evidence gets framed.