This page provides tips on using internet resources at university and a list of useful web resources for this unit.
Check if statistical data meet these criteria:
Relevance: are the statistics relevant to your research?
Reliable: are the statistics from authoritative source? Eg: Government or Recognised International Organisation
Methodology: does the statistic source document the methodology used?
There are different data collection methods used across countries. Types, depth and date of data are not always consistent between countries as international statistics are dependent on the collection of data by national governments and other agencies. Collection of data, within individual countries,
Credit to: University of Melbourne, Statistics and Data Library Guide.
Trip (Turning Research Into Practice) Medical Database is a smart, fast tool to find high quality clinical research evidence. Trip is updated using number of methods. The content from PubMed is added every two weeks, while content added manually is added once per month.
Information from web sites can be very easy to find. Due to the nature of the web, it is very important to evaluate anything that you find before including it in your assessments.
Anyone can author or publish material on a web site. No quality control process is required. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't use information from web sites! you just need to apply evaluation criteria to understand;
Authority - Who is the author? What are their qualifications and are they experts in the field they are writing about?
Objectivity - Is the purpose and intention of the source clear, including any bias or particular viewpoint?
Accuracy - Fact or opinion? What evidence is presented? Is it original research or copied from other sources?
See below a list of some relevant websites. Please ensure you evaluate anything that you find before including it in your assessments.