As a long-term corporate and medical researcher, I’ve noticed how the internet is getting jammed up with websites that appear to be medical but are actually just recycling medical-sounding content in a bid to capture names and details for third parties. So how can you separate out the meaningful academic research from the click-bait? There’s one failsafe principle you can count on…
The Librarian’s “CRAAP” rule:
You heard right. The “CRAAP” test can help you effectively evaluate websites, journal articles, books, and other publications. This is especially true in today’s world where anyone, even AI, can propagate misinformation. Just because a website looks good, doesn’t mean it is a trustworthy source!
The Librarian's "CRAAP" rule:
C – Currency Is it current? Be careful that what you are reading is up to date. Articles can hang around on the internet forever! Check out the original date of publication. This date should be prominently identified, whether it is a research paper, book, pamphlet, or website. Science and Medicine changes rapidly; so, establish that you are referring to the latest research.
R – Relevance Don’t chase down rabbit holes. Focus on information that is written for you as the intended audience and relates well to your research topic. It’s easy to fall into this trap and be led off course (see notes below on how to find exactly what you are looking for).
A – Authority Pay attention to the credentials of the author/publisher. Is the author an expert in their field? What are their credentials? Can you be confident they are authorities. Helpful note: if the author is affiliated with a recognized medical network i.e. The Mayo Clinic or Penn Medicine then you can for sure trust the article. Take a look too at other publications and sources that are cited by an article. As a side note, use blogs or patient chat rooms with discretion. They can be useful, but the patient can only speak to their own personal experience.
A – Accuracy Be sure that the information is factual and reliable. Always eliminate anything that is biased or emotional. Be a thoughtful consumer and move on if the publication has spelling or grammatical errors, broken links, unsubstantiated or wild-sounding claims. Wellness blogs are particularly prone to generating click bait headlines and misrepresenting serious medical research. If you see an article of interest, then go to a second more authorative website say The Cleveland Clinic or Peter Attia’s “The Drive” Podcast, and cross-reference the article with what these authorities are saying on the topics. If they don’t cover the research, ask yourself “Why not?”
P – Purpose Figure out what or who may be behind the research or article? Has the research been paid for by another third-party? Why was the article written in the first place? Pay attention to the author's motivation and establish if there are conflicts of interest or financial incentives; if so, seek another source. The following extensions on a website address (known as the URL) can give you clues about the purpose of the website. Pay attention to these distinctions!
.gov is a government site, like fda.gov
.edu is for academic institutions
.org is usually a non-profit, but not always
.com is a commercial business, usually financially motivated