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Information Resources for Community Health Workers: Evaluating Web sites

This guide offers helpful information on community resources in the Greater Houston area.

Evaluating

5 things to consider

  • Accuracy
    • Anyone can publish on the Internet
    • There really aren't standards to ensure that what you are reading is true
    • Very, very, VERY few web sites have editors that review what is on their pages
  • Authority
    • Can you determine who is responsible for the page you are reading?
    • What are their credentials or qualifications?
    • Do they have the backing of a well-known organization or government agency?
  • Bias
    • Remember, anyone can publish on the Internet
    • The Internet is often used as a "soapbox"
      • A place to preach or focus on a particular point of view that ignores a great deal of evidence to the contrary
  • Currency
    • Is the most current information found on the site?
    • Can you even tell?
    • Are any statistics used current?
  • Coverage
    • Does this site really cover the topic?
    • Sometimes you can see bias through coverage in that good evidence is ignored, dismissed, or not reported truthfully as it does not fit the perspective of the author of the page.