It is important to realize that when looking for quality, evidence-based resources it is not just about finding resources but about finding appropriate resources. Use this page to find information on what you need to think about when you are reviewing your results and look at the abstracts of your articles, the about pages of your resources, and the copyright/title pages of your books to help answer these questions.
It isn't just about thinking about how to evaluate the results, but also how to evaluate the types of results you are getting. Most academic/scholarly databases are populated by content that might have a high level of evidence because it has gone through a peer-review process, but many of the academic/scholarly resources have also been criticized for gate keeping and perpetuating a heteronormative, western, white, male-centric voice.
So when you are reviewing your results you might want to ask yourself - is there a perspective or a voice missing here?
If the answer is yes, how could you layer your research to search resources that are more patient-centric or non-traditional in addition to the scholarly/academic resources?
It is important to consistently check your own biases and your own preferences for reading one source over another. If you are looking for information that merely supports what you think is or should be the case or aren't checking your own search biases then you are committing confirmation bias.
The Pew Research Center has done research on news audiences and has rated news sources by the ideological leanings of their followers. A chart of this information can be viewed at: Ideological Placement of Each Source’s Audience.
You need to think about the:
Use these tips to evaluate the websites of organizations. Keep in mind that these are only a starting point and not guaranteed to be failsafe in every situation.
|
Accuracy/Bias |
Does the information presented on the website appear truthful / impartial, or incorrect / biased? |
| Funding | How is the organization funded? Hint: Government-funded, private donations? |
| Leadership | Who runs / founded the organization? What can you find out about them? Hint: Can you find more through a web search? |
| Mission |
What is the stated or implied mission of the organization? Hint: Look at the "About" page. |
| Reputation | Is this a well-known, well-regarded organization? Have you heard of it before? |
| Web Address | Does the URL end in: .edu, .gov, .org? Note: This is not always full proof. URLs of all types can be bought. |
Studies need to be funded. Think about asking yourself these questions to evaluate the information presented and to check for any biases
| Accuracy/Bias | Does the information presented appear truthful / impartial or incorrect / biased? |
|
Funding |
Who funded this study? Was it government funded, private donations, a private company? Hint: Government-funded, private donations? |
| Leadership | Who was in charge of the study / who runs the entity that funded it? What Information can you find on them? Hint: Can you find more through a web search? |
| Mission | What is the stated purpose of the study and mission of the entity that funded it? |
| Reputation | What is the reputation of the authors and the funders? Are they well-known, well-regarded? Have you heard of them before? What information can you find on them? |
Quick Tip: Many times clicking on an author, publication, or organization name in a database (like PubMed) record will take you to more information on the entity. However, you can also find information by running a web search.
