Criteria to consider when assessing the quality of a website:
Authority
- You should be able to determine the author(s) or reputable organization or association responsible for the content
- The author should be qualified to write about the topic (a nurse, doctor, researcher, or other expert)
Currency
- For health information, currency or age of the information is essential. For most medical topics, the most recent information will be the most accurate
- Be cautious when a website does not list any date for when the information was posted or last updated
Accuracy
- For health information, accuracy is crucial
- Watch for proper grammar, spelling, typos, and information that does not have supporting evidence or references
Purpose
- The intention of the website should be clear
- A website selling a product or displaying ads may have a bias
- The website might be personal or satirical and not intended to provide educational advice
Relevance
- The website should be relevant to your research purposes
- The website should provide comparable information to other websites on the topic
