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Evaluating A Web Site
Whenever you discover other sites on your own or through links be sure to check for authenticity, usefulness, and timeliness of the information. When you find an Internet resource, ask yourself the following questions:
- Who developed and maintains the site?
- Are they authorities on the subject?
- What are their credentials?
- How often is the information updated?
- Is there a date for the latest revision listed on the home page?
- How relevant is the information to your particular needs?
- Does it only contain local information or can the information be generalized to your situation?
Pay special attention to any site that receives the Health on the Net (HON) seal of approval. HON is one of most respected not-for-profit portals to medical information on the Internet and has maintained its website since March 20, 1996.
The HON site was one of the very first URLs to guide both lay users and medical professionals to reliable sources of healthcare information in cyberspace. The HON seal indicates that a site adheres to the HON code principles for the provision of authoritative, trustworthy Web-based medical information. The complete principles can be found at http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html.
UCLA Health System subscribes to the HONcode principles. Verify here.
