Internet Resources Selection Criteria: Policy for inclusion of links
Since the posting of our comprehensive list of links in February 2001, the Foundation has been inundated with requests to include additional links to organizations. As a result, we have recently revised our Internet Resources Selection Criteria to provide more specific guidance to sites interested in being listed on our links pages.
Sites selected support the mission of the Foundation and the objectives of the Foundation's web site, one of which is to provide a gateway to health services research sites.
To ensure that the list remains useful, but not overwhelming, the Foundation limits the requests for links to those most directly relevant to our audience and fields of interest. We include all organizations funded by the Foundation, as well as other organizations that we deem address our users' needs. The Foundation reviews all requests for inclusion on our site on a regular basis and appreciates reciprocal links from organizations whose site is listed on our pages. Please visit our links section periodically to see if your site has been included.
The list aims to be as comprehensive as possible, but is by no means exhaustive or all-inclusive.
For additional information about what we do and who we are, please refer to the About the Foundation section on our site.
Inclusion criteria
For inclusion in our list of links an organization must:- clearly identify its mandate, scope, objectives and sources of funding and sponsorship on its site;
- be broadly recognized as an authority in areas relevant to health services research development and use;
- clearly identify the sources of all information (including other organizations' tools and resources) provided on its site;
- be broadly recognized as providing relevant, accurate and timely information in a format effective and appropriate to its intended audience;
- provide contact details for users seeking additional information, wishing to provide feedback or trying to link up with other interested parties;
- (if applicable) have received a positive review by independent evaluators of its site; and
- provide information that is significantly useful to the Foundation’s research and decision-making communities.
Exclusion criteria
Sites will be excluded if the organization:- provides information relevant only to clinical practice or other areas of research beyond the Foundation’s scope;
- is a private for-profit organization (exception: journals and databases);
- requires service/user charges; or
- provides information that is inaccurate, misleading, biased, or otherwise irrelevant to the Foundation.
Criteria for removal
A site may be removed if it:
- no longer meets its originally stated purpose;
- is out of date and is no longer maintained;
- contains numerous defunct links;
- is found to contain inaccurate or misleading information;
- is not regularly accessible; or
- is replaced by another that provides enhanced or expanded coverage on the same topic.
Additional sources for evaluating information on the Internet
"The Internet presents a powerful mechanism for helping users improve their health-care decision making by providing easy and rapid access, exchange, and dissemination for enormous amounts of health information. Yet users must be aware of the potential for misinformation and recognize the critical need to assess the quality of the information provided."Source: Criteria for Assessing the Quality of Health Information on the Internet — Policy Paper — Supported in part by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.
For additional information on how to evaluate information resources on the Internet, please refer to the policy paper listed above or to: Evaluation of Information Sources — a document that is a part of the Information Quality WWW Virtual Library.
We welcome your suggestions and comments. Please contact the web manager for consideration for a listing in the links section of our site.
