Here are some sites that you'll find via the open Internet. We'll be looking at them with several criteria in mind:
1. Evidence of authorial credibility. The author may be an individual or an organization. An individual should have credentials listed, and a Discover search will hopefully yeild scholarly articles by that person. An organization should list information about its purpose and scope, and a quick Google search will usually tell you if the organization is reputable or not.
2. Date of most recent update. The date of the most recent update should be listed on the site. If the information is very dated, do not use it. Check the top and bottom of each page for the time of the most recent update.
3. Source(s) of the information/citations included. The site will almost always, if it is credible and evidence-based, include a list of citations to the research the authors consulted while writing the content. Look for scholarly or evidence-based citations. Try searching the article or book titles in Discover to get more information.
4. Intent of the site. Is the site intended to sell you things, or to inform you? Look out for lots of flashy advertising as your cue, or look to see if the author is selling a product or ideology. Keep in mind that even reputable sites with evidence-based research sometimes have to make enough money to stay in business, so good sites may have ads. Look for a balance of this criteria with the first three.
These are all sources that come up in a quick Google search for echinacea. Some are better than others. Which would you used to find evidence-based practice information?
