When you are searching for health information online you need to consider if it is GOOD information. The below can help you evaluate the information you find.
Currency.
- Consider: when the information was posted? has it been updated? are the links functional?
- Reposted old information does not make it new again!
Relevance.
- Consider: does the information match your topic & answer your question? who is the information intended for? is it written at the appropriate level? have you compared this source to others?
Authority.
- Consider: Who is the author/publisher? are they real & credible? are they qualified to write on the topic? Could they have any potential bias? Are they trying to sell you something?
Accuracy.
- Consider: where does the information come from? is there any supporting evidence (references)? is it free from spelling, & other errors?
- Look at the supporting sources/references/evidence.
- What type of study is the information based on?
- If research-based: was the research done on humans?
- How many people were involved in the study?
- If intervention/exposure based was there a control group? Was the study randomized?
- Does the information source match what the study assessed?
Purpose.
- Consider: what is the purpose of the information? Are they trying to sell you anything? Is the information bias?
