Searching The InternetAnd Evaluating Internet

Information

Search Strategy

• Generally, the best method to find information includes a stepwise approach moving first through tertiary then secondary and finally primary literature.

Search Strategy (Secondary and Primary Literature)

Boolean operators

Types Of Information Sources

•Tertiary Sources (textbooks, Guidelines, compendia, Encyclopedia, Dictionaries ……)

•Secondary Sources (Systematic Reviews, Abstracting and indexing engines)

•Primary Sources (Original Research Article)

Evidence Based Pyramid

Choosing the appropriate databaseThe following order of search steps is

likely to be successful for most purposes

⁻Try Cochrane Library then other sources for systematic reviews

⁻Use MEDLINE (PubMed) and other primary information sources

Cochrane Library

•The most important secondary source of information and thus it is best to start a search there.

•An international professional organization that compiles systematic reviews in important fields of medicine.

•Strict criteria are used in its evaluations and its published reports are characterized by high quality and reliability.

Search Strategy (Secondary and Primary Literature)

Let’s Go

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/cochrane_search_fs.html?newSearch=true

Search Strategy (Secondary and Primary Literature)

Search Strategy (Secondary and Primary Literature)

Clinical Queries in PubMed

•The second-best source of systematic reviews after Cochrane is MEDLINE/PubMed clinical queries.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/clinical

Evaluating Internet Information

• Finding the information is only part of the battle. Essentially anyone can put any information on the web, whether that information is valuable, worthless, disgusting, or even dangerous

Evaluating Internet Information• It is necessary for pharmacists to

use the skills discussed in , and . In particular, a web source should be evaluated for believability, the source (author), supporting evidence, logic, timeliness, and other factors.

The HON Code of Conduct for medical and health Web sites (HONcode)

• The Health on the Net Foundation has established HONcode which contains eight principles.

• These principles, if met, support the quality of the information provided by a particular website.

1. AuthoritativeIndicate the qualifications of the authors

2. ComplementarilyInformation should support, not replace, the doctor-patient relationship

3. Privacy Respect the privacy and confidentiality of personal data submitted to the site by the visitor

The HON Code of Conduct for medical and health Web sites (HONcode)

The HON Code of Conduct for medical and health Web sites (HONcode)

4. AttributionCite the source(s) of published information,

date medical and health pages

5. JustifiabilitySite must back up claims relating to

benefits and performance

6. TransparencyAccessible presentation, accurate email

contact

The HON Code of Conduct for medical and health Web sites (HONcode)

7. Financial disclosureIdentify funding sources

8. Advertising policyClearly distinguish advertising from

editorial content

https://www.hon.ch/http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html?HONConduct298987

Assignment

http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/health-websites

Every Group should select a website and find out if it complies

with the HonCode