| Critically Evaluating Online Resources |
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| Understanding
Information Literacy
Information Literacy is the ability to evaluate what
you read and write, to recognize when information is needed and to be able to
independently locate, evaluate, and apply the needed information.
In the five step model of Evidence
Based Medicine, Information Literacy specifically addresses how to APPRAISE
the evidence/resource to examine its worth and reliability. |
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| ASSESS |
Assess the patient and the problem to
determine the pertinent issues which may include differential diagnosis,
treatment decisions, or prognosis |
| ASK |
Ask a clear, answerable question to be
pursued. |
| ACQUIRE |
Acquire the evidence from appropriate
sources. |
| APPRAISE |
Appraise the evidence to further examine its
worth and reliability. |
| APPLY |
Apply the evidence to the patient |
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| Using the
TRAAP Test
The TRAAP Test (Timeliness, Relevance, Authority,
Accuracy, Purpose) is an evaluation technique you can use to determine if the
website or resource is appropriate for you to use in your research so you
don’t get trapped by sources--learn how to evaluate them!. You can apply
these criteria to school assignments and personal research. In the health
sciences field, doctors and nurses use these same criteria to determine whether
or not the information they are looking at to treat a patient is appropriate.
TRAAP Test
Worksheet
PDF Word |
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Timeliness of
Information
- When was it published and/or posted?
- Has it been revised, updated, superseded?
- Is it considered current or outdated in its field?
- Does your topic require current info only?
- Are the links functional?
Relevance of Topic
- How well does it relate to your topic or answer your
question?
- Is it more useful to you than other results?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Is it at an appropriate level of discussion for your
needs?
- Have you considered a variety of sources before
deciding?
Authority of Creator
- Who is responsible for it & is contact info
available?
- Are they qualified to write on the topic?
- Can their credentials be verified?
- What are their organizational affiliations &
reputation?
- What does the URL reveal? .com, .edu, .gov, .org
Accuracy of Content
- Is it supported by evidence?
- Has it been reviewed or refereed by experts?
- Can it be verified in other reputable sources?
- Does the tone seem unbiased and free of emotions?
- Are there spelling, grammar, or typographical errors?
Purpose of Existence
- Is it meant to inform, persuade, or entertain?
- Do the creators make their intentions clear?
- Are biases (personal, ideological, institutional, etc)
evident?
- Is the POV based in fact, opinion, or propaganda?
- Does it use emotional or objective language?
Digging Deeper to Evaluate Online
Resources
The websites of many medical resources are designed to
attract subscriptions from Medical Students. Their main pages often do not
provide the information needed to critically evaluate the resource. Some online
resources assume students will be surfing the web and getting anecdotal advice
from other students/residents. Other denigrate the curriclum provided by
Medical School and/or make claims for services with no evidence behind those
claims.
You may need to dig deeper by:
- Looking beyond the main pages to investigate pages such
as FAQs and support pages.
- Contacting the publisher/vendor for more
information.
Popular MUSM Library Online
Resources
For an A to Z list of Databases subscribed to by MUSM
Libraries, visit https://med.mercer.edu/library/resourcesatoz.htm
There are publishers/vendors with a long standing track
record of providing peer-reviewed information vetted by content experts. Here
are some of those popular MUSM library resources.
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