Zoloft- A Good Research Site

http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-z02.html#Head_6

URL:

Prior to opening a page, you can save time by determining if a specific search result will be useful in your research or not. To do so examine the URL of the page for the criteria below.

Is the publisher of the page a reliable source?	Yes No	Name of publisher: Mental Health Internet.
Looking at the domain, is the publishing entity a reliable source? (.gov, .edu)	Yes No	Type of domain: .com
Is this page a personal page?	Yes No	Author: Phillip W. Long, M.D.

Source:

Before selecting a site, it is important to analyze where the page came from and who is the author that created the page. Answering the following questions will help you to decide if the page you are looking is one that should be trusted for use in research.

Is there a clear source claiming responsibility for this page?	Yes No	Name: Phillip W. Long, M.D.
Does the author provide credentials?	Yes No	Credentials: Phillip W. Long, M.D.
Is there a way to contact the author?	Yes No	Contact information: None provided except the mental health site link

Accuracy:

Accuracy of information on a web page is critical to be considered a reputable source. Errors in typing and spelling can alter the meaning of different words easily and therefore are absent in good web pages. Since there is no governing body that looks at web pages. before they are posted, verifying the legitimacy of all resources sited on the page will be a key factor in determining the value of a page as a resource.

Are there grammatical, spelling, or typing errors?	Yes No	Example: None Found
Are sources of factual information present on the site	Yes No	Sources: There is data from a Canadian study presented on the page.
Are there links to additional sites or references?	Yes No	Examples: There are links the the actual mental health site and the study site
Are references reputable and scholarly	Yes No	Reference: The links lead to several scholarly journals

Objectivity:

Determining whether or not a page present the information with prejudice is a crucial factor in determining if a site is a good resource or not. Since anyone can post a web page, the views expressed may not be neutral. Being able to distinguish between expressed personal views and neutral factual view points is a necessary skill for choosing the right sources.

Is there an obvious sponsor for the site?	Yes No	Name: No sponsors found
Is there a clear distinction between any advertising that the site information?	Yes No	Types of advertising: No advertising was seen
Are the views expressed on the page based on factual information?	Yes No	Information source: The information provided is part of a research study
Is the information provided as a public service?	Yes No	Reason for information: The site explains Zoloft to the public

Updates:

In many instances, information on the Internet can be outdated, especially when the information is discussing current issues in medical and scientific research or political events. Determining the age of the information and whether or not the page is update is important for choosing the right resource.

Are there dates present to help determine when the page was written and last updated?	Yes No	Dates: There is not written or last updated date present
Aside from a date, is there any other indication the page kept up to date?	Yes No	Indications: There is a copyright date on the bottom of the page
Are links on the page still active and accurate?	Yes No	Examples: The links present brought me to the pages they were supposed to
Are any graphs or charts present dated as to when the data was gathered?	Yes No	Data Dates: The charts were dated with the study that they came from

Coverage:

Determining whether or not the information presented on a page is complete is especially important for research needs. Since for some research sources may require older, out of date information, being able to tell if the work presented on a page is complete is essential to be able to use as a resource.

Are there any indications that the page is still under construction?	Yes No	Indications: The page had no indications that it was incomplete and therefore would be a good source of information
If the site is using a print resources, is there an indication that it is available in entirety on the web?	Yes No	Print Availability: There is a link that leads to the study discussed on the site so the study can be reviewed with ease
Does it appear that there has been an effort to use sources that are current?	Yes No	Currency: The information on Zoloft appears to be accurate and up to date with other current research