EVALUATING NUTRITION WEBSITES

Visit the Mayo Clinic website at www.MayoClinic.com. To judge whether this website offers reliable information, answer the following questions.

1. Who is responsible for this site? Clues can be found in the three-letter “tag” that follows the dot in the site’s name. For example, “gov” and “edu” indicate government and university sites, usually reliable sources of information.

2. Do the names and credentials of information providers appear? Is an editorial board identified? List. Many legitimate sources provide e-mail addresses or other ways to obtain more information about the site and the providers behind it.

3. Are links with other reliable information sites provided? List them. Reputable organizations almost always provide links with other similar sites because they want you to know of other experts in their area of knowledge. Caution is needed when you evaluate a site by its links, however. Anyone, even a quack, can link a webpage to a reputable site without the organization’s permission. Doing so may give the quack’s site the appearance of legitimacy, just the effect the quack is hoping for.

4. Is the site updated regularly? What are the indicators of regular updates? Dates? Nutrition information changes rapidly, and sites should be updated often.

5. Is the site selling a product or service? If so, what is that product or service? Commercial sites may provide accurate information, but they also may not, and their profit motive increases the risk of bias.

6. Does the site charge a fee to gain access? If so, what is the access fee? Many academic and government sites offer the best information, usually for free. Some legitimate sites do charge fees, but before paying up, check the free sites. Chances are good that you’ll find what you are looking for without paying.

Visit the Mr. Vitamins website at www.askmrvitamins.com. To judge whether this website offers reliable information, answer the following questions.

1. Who is responsible for this site? Clues can be found in the three-letter “tag” that follows the dot in the site’s name. For example, “gov” and “edu” indicate government and university sites, usually reliable sources of information.

2. Do the names and credentials of information providers appear? Is an editorial board identified? List. Many legitimate sources provide e-mail addresses or other ways to obtain more information about the site and the providers behind it.

3. Are links with other reliable information sites provided? List them. Reputable organizations almost always provide links with other similar sites because they want you to know of other experts in their area of knowledge. Caution is needed when you evaluate a site by its links, however. Anyone, even a quack, can link a webpage to a reputable site without the organization’s permission. Doing so may give the quack’s site the appearance of legitimacy, just the effect the quack is hoping for.
4. Is the site updated regularly? What are the indicators of regular updates? Dates? Nutrition information changes rapidly, and sites should be updated often.

5. Is the site selling a product or service? If so, what is that product or service? Commercial sites may provide accurate information, but they also may not, and their profit motive increases the risk of bias.

6. Does the site charge a fee to gain access? If so, what is the access fee? Many academic and government sites offer the best information, usually for free. Some legitimate sites do charge fees, but before paying up, check the free sites. Chances are good that you’ll find what you are looking for without paying.

Briefly compare the two websites. Reliable? Unreliable? Would you trust the information from both websites? One website? Explain.

Using your text and/or an internet search engine find two credible websites and briefly describe them. Then find two that you feel are not credible and briefly describe those. Include with each description your reasoning for credibility or non credibility.