Criteria for evaluating resources:
For more detailed information see Evaluating Information Found on the Internet (Johns Hopkins University)
Anyone can create a Web site. It is important to find out who is the author and what are the author's qualifications or expertise in order to determine the credibility and reliability of the information.
| .com | Produced by a commercial enterprise, trying to sell something or funded by advertisers |
| .edu | From an educational institution (college, high school, museum) |
| .net | Network of computers |
| .mil | A military site |
| .gov | Produced by the government |
| .org | Produced by a nonprofit organization |
| .uk, .cn, .us, etc. | A coutry-sponsored site |
| .md.us | A web site from the state of Maryland |
What is it?
"HONcode is the oldest and the most used ethical and trustworthy code for medical and health related information available on Internet.The HONcode is designed for three target audiences: the general public, the health professionals and the web publisher, actively involving the site owner in the process of certification."
For more information, check the HONcode web site.
A note of caution
With the amount of information on the internet today, it's easier than ever to investigate health topics online. Not every webpage you visit will contain trustworthy information, so be prepared to assess website reliability as you browse. Sites that end in .gov or .edu are likely to be reliable, as they represent government and academic sources. Sites that end in .com or .org are a bit harder to assess, but can still contain valuable information. If you come upon a website and are unsure of its reliability, check to see if its information is either written by experts or regularly reviewed by experts, or if it contains citations from the scientific literature.
Public health resources at a glance
For assessing the reliability of online health information, visit MedlinePlus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing.
U.S. Health-Related Information and Data Sources
Databases from Government Organizations
UMD Centers and Programs for Research
Community Health Education Techniques and Best Practices
Ethnic and Minority Information Resources
Local Government Health Agencies
Gender/Age Related Resources
