Evidence Framework
How It Works
Every app in our directory is classified based on published evidence on the app — including the type of research conducted, the outcomes reported, and the strength of the evidence behind it.
Each app receives a Badge (a quick quality signal) and a Tagline (what that badge means in context). The tagline adapts to reflect the evidence — an app backed by multiple clinical trials with positive results will read differently than one supported by a single preliminary study with mixed findings.
The highest tier of evidence. These apps have been tested through randomized controlled trials or validated against gold-standard methods in leading journals.
Health & behavioral science apps display CLINICAL GRADE because these fields use clinical trials as their standard of evidence. All other disciplines — science, engineering, agriculture, education — display PROVEN because their evidence comes through field validation, accuracy testing against established methods, or outcome measurement rather than clinical trials. The underlying evidence requirements are identical. Only the label changes.
How apps earn this badge:
- Has at least one Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), OR
- Has a Validation Study published in a top-quartile journal in its field, OR
- Has a Validation Study supported by 3 or more publications
What you'll see on the app page:
| Tagline | What it means |
|---|---|
| Validated in clinical trials · Supported by multiple studies | Multiple studies with positive results (health apps) |
| Validated with strong research evidence · Supported by multiple studies | Multiple studies with positive results (science/eng. apps) |
| Validated in clinical trials | Positive results from a moderate number of studies |
| Validated in clinical trials · Initial evidence | Positive results, but from a single study so far |
| Studied in clinical trials · Mixed evidence | Rigorously tested, but results were mixed |
| Rigorously studied · Mixed evidence | Rigorously tested, mixed results (non-health apps) |
The highest tier of evidence. These apps have been tested through randomized controlled trials or validated against gold-standard methods in leading journals.
Health & behavioral science apps display CLINICAL GRADE because these fields use clinical trials as their standard of evidence. All other disciplines — science, engineering, agriculture, education — display PROVEN because their evidence comes through field validation, accuracy testing against established methods, or outcome measurement rather than clinical trials. The underlying evidence requirements are identical. Only the label changes.
How apps earn this badge:
- Has at least one Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), OR
- Has a Validation Study published in a top-quartile journal in its field, OR
- Has a Validation Study supported by 3 or more publications
What you'll see on the app page:
| Tagline | What it means |
|---|---|
| Validated in clinical trials · Supported by multiple studies | Multiple studies with positive results (health apps) |
| Validated with strong research evidence · Supported by multiple studies | Multiple studies with positive results (science/eng. apps) |
| Validated in clinical trials | Positive results from a moderate number of studies |
| Validated in clinical trials · Initial evidence | Positive results, but from a single study so far |
| Studied in clinical trials · Mixed evidence | Rigorously tested, but results were mixed |
| Rigorously studied · Mixed evidence | Rigorously tested, mixed results (non-health apps) |
These apps have demonstrated measurable results in structured research studies — effectiveness trials, validation studies, pilot programs, or longitudinal studies.
How apps earn this badge:
- Has a Validation Study, OR
- Has an Effectiveness/Outcome Study, OR
- Has a Pilot/Feasibility Study, OR
- Has a Cohort/Longitudinal Study
What you'll see on the app page:
| Tagline | What it means |
|---|---|
| Proven effective · Supported by multiple studies | Strong evidence from 3+ studies |
| Proven effective in research studies | Positive results from 2 studies |
| Initial evidence from research studies | Promising results, but from a single study |
| Shows promise in preliminary research | Positive findings from a pilot or feasibility study |
These apps have been formally studied by researchers — evaluated for usability, user experience, or assessed in systematic reviews. This tier reflects that the app has been examined by the research community, though the studies focused on how well the app works in practice rather than measuring health or performance outcomes.
How apps earn this badge:
- Has a Usability Study, OR
- Has an Evaluation Study, OR
- Is mentioned in a Systematic Review or Meta-Analysis
These apps appear in academic publications — described in research papers, referenced in conference proceedings, or discussed in scholarly work. The publications document the app's existence and design but do not include studies that directly measure whether the app works.
How apps earn this badge:
- Has at least one academic publication
- Publication is in a peer-reviewed journal, conference proceedings, or other scholarly venue
- The app is identifiable and described in the literature
Apps developed by universities, federal agencies, research institutes, or clinical organizations — but without dedicated research studies evaluating the app itself. These apps carry institutional credibility, though they have not yet been independently studied.
How apps earn this badge:
- Developed by a recognized research institution
- No dedicated publications evaluating the app
- Institution has a verifiable track record in the app's domain
Institutions include universities, NASA, CDC, USDA, VA, the Smithsonian, Mayo Clinic, and similar organizations.
How We Classify
Study types are identified by analyzing each publication's abstract. Journals are evaluated using field-normalized criteria, so the top agriculture journal qualifies just as the top medical journal does. Study outcomes are assessed for every app — and apps with negative or mixed results receive taglines that reflect this. Evidence strength reflects how many qualifying studies support the classification.
Badge Display Format
Consistent two-part display across the site: Badge · Tagline
The tagline shown for each app may include additional context based on the evidence — such as “Supported by multiple studies,” “Initial evidence,” or “Mixed evidence.”
Have updated research?
If you're a researcher or app developer with new publications or updated evidence for an app in our directory, we'd like to hear from you.