Re:data point (Score 1)

One option is to read the comment section for literature posted in blogs or forums frequented by active scientists. The discussions more often than not revolve around the quality of the paper and a critique of the techniques used. As a word of warning, it would still be difficult to have a full understanding of what is going on without learning how the science is being done and having a general foundation in the field of study (bio, chem, physics, etc.).