HEA 110: Credible Health Research Practice

• Find Credible Health Information on the Internet
• News vs. Ads
• Evaluation Checklist

Use Trusted Sources

The best way to avoid misinformation online, especially when it comes to health, is to go directly to a trusted source such as a federal or government agency, medical school, hospital, or large professional or nonprofit organization.

The websites listed below are considered extremely reliable and are great examples of where to start when searching for health information online. Try searching each of the websites listed below for information on your topic. Some sites will only include information for the United States, while others will include information from other countries or regions.

Search a Website

Use the search feature provided on the homepage of a website to search for your topic using keywords.

• Keyword Examples: stress, suicide, sleep, anxiety, health literacy, behavior change, etc.

Using a Search Engine

Using Google or other search engines will find many results, but not all of the results they provide are trustworthy. Here are some quick tips for narrowing the results list so that you are more likely to find credible sources.

Limit Search results to .gov Websites

URLs with .gov indicate a US government (federal, state local) website. 

• In the search box, type: site:.gov 
• Follow that with keywords related to your topic:
  • site:.gov sleep habits hygiene
  • site:.gov anxiety disorder coping strategies

Limit Search Results to .edu Websites

URLs with .edu indicate a US higher education institution (colleges, universities, etc.). Many universities provide information about college students and their health-related issues.

• In the search box, type: site:.edu
• Follow that with keywords related to your topic:
  • site:.edu students stress sleep
  • site:.edu health behavior change

There are many misleading "news" websites that mimic the look and feel of legitimate websites, especially when it comes to health information. When taking a closer look, you often find that the site is actually an elaborate advertisement.

It's probably an advertisement if it. . .

• endorses a product
• quotes only people who say good things about a product or service
• discusses only positive research results
• contains links to a sales site
• asks for your contact information
• includes positive reader comments only, and you can’t add a comment of your own
• does not mention an author
• has an author listed, but they are not really qualified to write about the topic
• has no connection to a trusted news site or organization

Adapted from Know the Science: The Facts about Health News Stories (NCCIH)

Ask yourself these very basic questions to help you decide if you can trust the info you've found:

• Why was the site created?
• Is the mission or goal of the website owner or sponsor made clear?
• Are ads clearly labeled, or is it hard to tell if a piece of information is part of an ad or an article?
• Is the website owner or sponsor a federal agency, medical school, hospital, or large professional or nonprofit organization, or is it related to one of these?
• Is the website written by a medical or scientific professional or does it reference one of the trustworthy sources mentioned on this page for its health information?
• Does the site offer contact information?
• When was the information written and last updated?
• Is your privacy protected? Is the website secure?
• Does the website offer quick and easy solutions to resolving health problems or offer information that seems too good to be true? 

Still not sure? Ask a librarian or your instructor.

Adapted from How to Find Reliable Health Information Online (National Institute on Aging)

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