Evaluating Health Information

Health Information: Investigate the Source

What kind of source do you have? Whether it is a publication (like a journal article), a website, or an online post, it’s a good idea to investigate a source that is providing health information.

Who is responsible for the information?  

  • Who is the author or organization?  
  • Is there an editor or expert reviewer?

Image of person reading a newspaper, think bubbles "who is the author? what is their experience? credentials? what do other people say about them?"

Image created in canva.com by Megan Carlton

Look at what the author or organization says about itself

  • Check the bio, About page, or other description from the source.
  • Look at what they say about themselves, but don’t spend a lot of time on this since other people might not have verified this information.

Find out what others say about the author or organization 

  • Try the name in a search engine such as DuckDuckGo.

What credentials or experience does the author or source have related to the topic?

  • Researcher or health care provider.
  • Peer reviewed journal.
  • Government health agency.
  • Professional journalist or science educator who specializes in communicating health science news.
  • A member of the general public describing their own experience with an exercise, medication, or health condition.

Don’t assume that authority = content accuracy

  • Experts sometimes disagree and make mistakes.
  •  Asking someone else about their experience can be reassuring, but your experience might not match theirs.  
  • A peer reviewed medical article can include a lot of information based on many peoples’ experiences, but it can be difficult to determine whether the information applies to you. 

For health advice, see a licensed health care provider.  This page describes some specialties. 

Here’s more information:

Quick Check:

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