MA Dept of Public Health - Bureau reports include information on topics such as births, deaths, cancer, injuries, occupational health, and marriage records.
Key U.S. government health and safety website for a variety of audiences. Emphasizes public health/health promotion. 41 million page views per monthly.
One-stop, consumer-friendly health information for diverse audiences; sponsored by U.S. National Library of Medicine. "You can use MedlinePlus to learn about the latest treatments, look up information on a drug or supplement, find out the meanings of words, or view medical videos or illustrations. You can also get links to the latest medical research on your topic or find out about clinical trials on a disease or condition."
"WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends."
Medical Library Association This guide, hosted by the Medical Library Association (MLA), discusses how to find and evaluate health-related websites on the Internet. it also provides a list of health websites recommended by the MLA.
National Human Genome Research Institute Created by the National Human Genome Research Institute, this website offers tips for finding scientific and medical literature through the Internet. It includes a list of Internet resources used for locating scientific and medical literature.
The Health On the Net Foundation (HON) promotes and guides the deployment of useful and reliable online health information, and its appropriate and efficient use
Evaluating Research Articles
10 Questions to Ask When Studying Research Studies
What type of study is it? Peer-reviewed? Presentation at a conference? Retrospective or prospective? Observational? Case report? Epidemiological? Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind?
Where was it published? Not all scientific journals carry equal weight; generally, the better studies are in the better journals. Look for well-known journals and leading journals in the respective fields. Higher impact factors indicate more influential journals.
Who funded the research? Be aware that studies paid for by non-profit groups can be done to promote a particular agenda. Studies funded by a company or an industry are not necessarily biased or inaccurate, but be aware that they can be. The key is to make certain the study acknowledges its funding source and that it was conducted as independently as possible. Look for Conflict of Interest statements--they are usually at the end of the article in a small font.
Who conducted the research? Studies are usually given greater weight that are done at reputable, well-known universities or health centers with good track records for research in a particular field. Look for the research setting in either the Methods section or the Introduction. Also, you can look at the addresses of the authors or study centers.
Was it a human trial? Be careful about applying results from animal or cellular studies to humans.
How long did the study last? The key is whether the study was long enough to adequately measure its desired outcome. Example: is a 6-month study long enough to measure long-term weight loss?
How many participants were studied? Did the study include enough subjects to be statistically significant? Remember that small numbers can produce meaningful results in clinical trials.
What kinds of people were included? Studies looking at men only may or may not be applicable to women. Research on patients with cardiovascular disease may not be applicable to people in general.
What do other experts say? The journal may run an accompanying editorial commenting on the research. Professional associations and national health groups can help to filter the plethora of research reports and studies.
What phase was the study? Research on new drug treatments goes through three or four phases. Focus on Phase III trials or later.
Reference: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter Special Report, June 2006, pp. 4-5.