Information found on the Internet can vary substantially in terms of its quality.

Assignment
3: Website Critique

Assignment 3: Website Critique

30% of Total Grade

Information found on the Internet
can vary substantially in terms of its quality. The purpose of this assignment
is to help you systematically evaluate the quality of website information and
determine its usefulness in guiding your own practice, or the health-related
decisions of clients. 

Select a health-related website that
is of interest to you and/or to the clients in your workplace. Use the criteria
described in Unit 9 (Consumer Health Informatics) for determining validity of
health information on the web; include other relevant supportive literature;
and critique the quality of the information found on that website. Think
critically about each criterion listed and why it is deemed to be important.
For each criterion, ask yourself, “So what?” More specifically,
consider the following:

• Why is this criterion important?
• What are the assumptions underlying the question posed?
• How does this criterion assist the user in evaluating
  the quality of the health information on the website?
• Would you apply the criterion with equal rigor
  regardless of the underlying intent of the website? Why or why not?
• If not, which of the criteria do you consider to be of
  most importance? Of least importance? Provide rationale for your
  responses.

It is not sufficient to simply state
that the website does or does not meet a specific criterion. Consider also how
the quality of the information on the website is affected by its ability (or
failure) to comply with the stated criteria. In other words, your critique
should address the preceding questions and provide a balanced view in
discussing the strengths, limitations, and areas for improvement of the
website.

Evaluation Criteria for Assignment 3

• Provide clear rationale for the selection of the
  website to be evaluated (2 marks)
• Include a brief summary of the intended audience and
  kind(s) of information available on the selected website (2 marks)
• Describe the website evaluation tool and reference
  content on its background, purpose and use (3 marks)
• Include a summary of your assessment for all criteria
  contained in the evaluation tool when used in the evaluation of the
  selected website (8 marks)
• Articulate a decision with rationale for
  recommending/not recommending the website (2 marks)
• Provide evidence of application of course concepts
  from Unit 9 with references to sources (e.g., journal articles, web-based
  materials) beyond those offered in the course materials (3 marks)
• Demonstrate scholarly format including:
• 4-5 pages in length,
  excluding title page and Reference list (1 mark)
• Scholarly language and
  professional tone (2 marks)
• Correct grammar, spelling and
  punctuation (2 marks)
• Effective introduction and
  conclusion (2 marks)
• Include accurate APA (6th edition)
  formatting including:
• Title page, headings, and
  subheadings (1 mark)
• Reference citations and
  reference list (2 mark)