Assessment Of Quality of Internet Sites

Author's Credibility

• Does the website include the author (not a personal "anonymous" account)?
• Does the author or organization seem qualified to provide such information?
• Is the author free from affiliations with an organization that could cause the author to be biased?
• Is the website associated with an accredited university, medical, or federal program?

Date of Publication

• After examining the date, is the information current enough to be of any use?
• Is there any indication of updates and/or possible future investigations or editions?
• Has the site been updated recently?

Objective Reasoning

• Is there documented scientific medical evidence with a citation available to validate the claims? (versus opinion)
• Based upon a good understanding of therapeutics and pharmacokinetics, was the information logical? (e.g. claims of no side effects; miracle cure).

Website Information

• If any advertising was present, is it appropriate?
• Do any visual effects distract from viewing and understanding?
• Does the site provide links to other relevant sites?

Tone

• Is the author using an unbiased tone?
• Does the author avoid emotional wording in presenting information and/or provide an argument rather than a discussion?
• Does the article provide a balanced focus in presenting information? (e.g. instead of only positive or only negative aspects).

Writing Style

• Does the article appear to have undergone editorial or peer review?
• Is the information organized in a logical fashion?
• Are the main points presented and explained clearly?
• Is the document free from grammatical or typographical errors?
• Does the author document all resources used in a reference list?