This paper offers an empirical critical look at studies cited as proof of the ineffectiveness of online teaching. Given the importance of considering the practices and activity of actors with a certain finesse when analyzing or evaluating any educational system, we have examined what information of this order is considered in a few large studies cited for their scientific rigour. We conducted a content analysis of the information provided on how the online teaching took place. The results bring important nuances to works that claim to report evidence concluding that online teaching is ineffective.