How do I know if information given on a website is credible?




Because the internet is unregulated anyone can post information about health. So, how do you know if it is reliable information? There are a few key points that you can look for to determine if the website's information is credible.

1. Accuracy

Is the information being provided based on research?
Are the sources that are being used cited?
Are there grammatical or spelling issues?

2. Authority

Who published the information?
Do they have the credentials to provide information?
Are they affiliated with an organization or a university?
Is contact information available?
What is the domain name? Is it followed by .edu .gov .org?

3. Bios/Objectivity

Does the information show multiple points of view?
Who sponsored the web page?
Is the information an advertisement?
Does the information play with your emotions? Be cautious of capital letters, exclamation points, or false claims such as cure or miracle.
Is the information used to promote an individual or a product?

4. Currency/Timelines

Does the information have a published date?
Has it been updated?
Do the links work?

Coverage

Does the information seem complete?
Are sources for additional information given?

Using this criteria will help you decide if a website is providing accurate health related information. Here are a list of quality websites that are recommended to find information.

heart.org
nih.gov
kidshealth.org
drugs.com
mayoclinic.com
medscape.com
cancer.org
healthline.com
healthfinder.gov
menopause.org
acog.org
medlineplus.gov

If you are not sure if a website is reliable you can find further information on websites such as trustortrash.org

References

[image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/10/doctors-many-talents

National Network of Libraries of Medicine. (nd). Evaluating Health Websites. retrieved from https://nnlm.gov/initiatives/topics/health-websites

Trust or Trash. (2013). Trust it or trash it. retrived from www.trustortrash.org