i always laughed when there was a commercial on television that said that.  some very serious man or woman, wearing a labcoat would gaze earnestly into the camera, remove their glasses and hold up a manilla envelope or folder and say "an important university study has shown that..." 

this was my cue to start ignoring the rest.  at least political attack ads have the courage to cite their sources.  these are generic.  what gives this thing it's credibility?  the quasi-scientist staring into the camera, or maybe the "important" research in that manilla folder?  what gives.  as i got older, i came to appreciate the subtlety of competeing subject matter experts in a court of law and the way that authority, certainty and belief and are assumed and attacked when research is discussed.  this can all be seen repeated in bicycling relevant terms through a nice link from terry: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/10/freakonomics_on_1.php

-sg