1.3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Analyzing the Credibility of a Source

Because it can be challenging to categorize a source as “credible” or “not credible” in such a clear-cut manner, the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health or NCCIH (2018) instead developed a set of questions as guidance to identify and evaluate the accuracy of online health resources, and is used here with permission:

Who Maintains and Pays For the Website?

• Any reliable health-related website should make it easy for you to learn who is responsible for the site. You should be able to find out who runs a website and its purpose on the About Us page.
• A web address that ends in “.gov” means it’s a government-sponsored site; “.edu” indicates an educational institution, and “.com” a commercial organization; “.org” usually means a noncommercial organization, but some “.org” sites belong to organizations that promote an agenda, so their content may be biased.
• Who pays for the site? Does the site include advertisements? Is it sponsored by a company that sells dietary supplements, drugs, or other products or services? Confirm any information you find on a site that sells products with an independent site that doesn’t sell products.

How Do You Know if the Information is Accurate?

• The site should describe the evidence, such as articles in medical journals, that the material is based on. Also, opinions or advice should be clearly set apart from information that’s evidence-based—based on research results. For example, if a site discusses the health benefits you can expect from a treatment, look for references to scientific research that clearly support what’s said.
• Keep in mind that testimonials, anecdotes, unsupported claims, and opinions aren’t the same as objective, evidence-based information.

Is the Information Reviewed by Experts?

• You can be more confident in the quality of medical information on a website if health experts reviewed it. Some websites have an editorial board that reviews content. Others put the names and credentials of reviewers in an Acknowledgments section near the end of the page.

How Current is the Information?

• Outdated medical information can be misleading or even dangerous. Responsible health websites review and update much of their content on a regular basis, especially fact sheets and lists of frequently asked questions—or FAQs. However, content such as news reports or meeting summaries that describe an event usually isn’t updated. To find out whether the information is old, look for a date on the page, which is often near the bottom.

Are Less Credible Sources Linked Within the Site?

• The sites and sources linked within a site can impact its credibility. Less credible sites are those that accept payment to link on their page. Other sites might create and require specific criteria for the sources it includes as links. Having a transparent linking policy is a sign of credibility, but know that some policies might be intended to derive profit for the site.
• Unless the site’s linking policy is strict, don’t assume that the sites that it links to are reliable. You should evaluate the linked sites just as you would any other site that you’re visiting for the first time.

How Does the Site Collect and Handle Personal Information? Is the Site Secure?

• Websites track which pages you’re looking at. They may also ask you to “subscribe” or “become a member.” Any credible site collecting this kind of information should tell you exactly what it will and won’t do with it.
• Many commercial sites sell aggregate or collected data about their users to other companies—information such as what percentage of their users are women over age 40. In some cases, they may collect and reuse information that’s personally identifiable, such as ZIP code, gender identity, and birth date.
• Read any privacy policy or similar language on the site, and don’t sign up for anything you don’t fully understand.
• See if the address (URL) for the site starts with https instead of http. Sites that use HTTPS—Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol—are encrypted, less likely to be hacked, and more likely to protect your privacy.

Can you Communicate with the Owner of the Website?

• You should always be able to contact the site owner if you run across problems or have questions or feedback. If the site hosts online discussion forums or message boards, it should explain the terms of use.

General Evaluation Considerations

In addition to these recommendations by the NCCIH, consider the following when evaluating print or online sources:

• Who wrote the content? Is the author part of a qualified authority on the topic, such as an accredited University, a government research institution, or a public healthcare organization? Does the author rely largely on news releases or does the author cite direct sources?
• What is the style of presentation? Is the author making broad generalizations or reporting testimonials? Does the author establish the novelty of their work or compare their approach or results with existing research or approaches? If research is being cited, are references included?
• Does the publication discuss the costs of the intervention or the availability of the treatment, test, product, or procedure? Are the benefits and the potential harms discussed adequately?
• What is the purpose and reputation of the publication? For example, is it to inform an educated audience or the general public, advance scientific knowledge, or sell a product or idea?
• Does it sound too good to be true? If so, it probably is. Check to see if the claims are backed by research, and if so, whether the research cited was conducted by an objective third party or by a company trying to sell a product. If the site or publication is trying to sell you something, be wary.
• If research is cited, what was the sample size of the intervention? What are the results of other research conducted on the topic? Were the results published in a peer-reviewed journal, and if so, does the journal make authors pay to get published?
• Is the information timely? If not, it may no longer be accurate, and it might be a good idea to look for something more recent.

Remember, it’s not a requirement to be an expert on the intricacies of research methods in order to evaluate the credibility of health information. A librarian can help you understand the basics of these concepts and direct you to additional resources if you’d like to learn more.