It's critical to be critical!
It's easy to uncover a LOT of sources on the Internet, but it's much harder to decide if a site has quality information or junk information. One way to critically review a website is to use the CRAP test. The CRAP test challenges you to consider the
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Currency Reliability Authority Purpose or Point of View |
of your source to ensure that it is not outdated, biased, or otherwise unreliable.
Evaluating Internet Health Information - MedlinePlus Video Tutorial
Click on the image below to watch the video tutorial created by the National Library of Medicine to help viewers evaluate health information found online.
Recommended Dental Hygiene Websites
It can be difficult to find websites that have reliable information. Your instructors may restrict the types of websites used for a project because it can be difficult to find the author, if the site has been reviewed, or even when it was published. Anyone can add anything to the internet, so it is best to proceed with caution, especially when researching health-related topics. Some types of websites that you can trust to provide authoritative information include:
Professional organization websites
Professional organizations can be extremely valuable, both during your time as a student and later as a professional yourself. These sites provide information and resources on current issues and developments of significance to the dental hygiene profession. Some, like the American Dental Hygienists Association, also offer free online access to publications and research papers contributed by association members.
American Dental Hygienists Association -- be sure to look at Access, the official publication of the ADHA (this journal is included in the CINAHL database)
Illinois Dental Hygienists Association
International Federation of Dental Hygienists
Government websites
Websites for governmental organizations are great sources for reliable, mostly consumer-friendly information, though they do often offer more in-depth research, as well. Indeed, these sites strive to make the massive amounts of government-funded health research accessible and understandable to the public.
National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Healthy People 2020 - Oral Health
Center for Disease Control - Division of Oral Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Healthfinder
Research or educational institutions' websites
Educational and/or private research institutions often provide access to the authoritative information and research generated through their activities.