Tools to help you decide what is factual and what is not

Cancer information is available from many sources. How can you decide what is true and what is not? It is often difficult to know which information is accurate, and which information sources can be trusted. Here are a few tools we use to decide if the information we’ve found is reliable.

Assessing online information

Social media and other internet sources are valuable and easily accessible resources for many of us to find answers to our questions. Following is summary of the benefits and disadvantages of using the internet for health information:

Pros and cons of using social media and the internet for health information

Pros Cons
Provides education and knowledge Information may be interpreted incorrectly
Allows immediate and direct access to information by anyone Could undermine the help and knowledge doctors and other health care providers could give
Informs people about ways to prevent cancer, find it early, and learn about new treatments Misinformation may lead to poor lifestyle, prevention, or treatment choices, and can cause harm
Allows patients to take responsibility for educating themselves Could create distrust of doctors and strain the relationship between patients and their health care providers
Helps promote and support use of preventive strategies and treatments Could heighten anxiety
Empowers patients to educate those around them Can spread misinformation

Adapted From: Welch-Cline et al. The Roles of Patients’ Internet Use for Cancer Information and Socioeconomic Status in Oncologist-Patient Communication, Journal of Oncology Practice, 2007.

Doing your own fact-checking

How can you sift through the massive amounts of information and pick out what is accurate and reliable? Here are a few steps to consider:

Read beyond the title: Read the entire article to find out what the article is really saying. Do not fall for dramatic and shocking titles.

Check:

Who wrote it?
What are the author’s credentials and reputation? What other work do they do? Who pays them? Are they trying to sell something?

Who published it?
Is the sponsor of the information well known and trusted? Is the information coming from a for-profit company? (See a list of reliable sources)

Is it fact or opinion?
Does the author have legitimate expertise in the area and present data, or is the article centered around opinions? Are reliable sources being cited? (See a list of reliable sources)

How recent is the article?
Older articles may have outdated information. If you are not sure, look for more recent articles.

Is it a scam?
Does the information lead you to a third-party website? Are they asking you to buy something or provide personal information? Is it a sponsored post or an advertisement?

Double-check: Verify the claims of the article by finding a second independent reliable source of information. (See a list of reliable sources)

Writing style: There should not be grammatical or spelling errors. The writing should have a clear style and be professionally edited.

The CARE checklist

The CARE checklist is another way to determine which sources are reliable and which are not:

Take CARE when viewing information:

Claim

Does the claim seem outrageous, have overly complicated information, discuss primarily natural cures, and false timelines (too quick to seem true)?

Acceptable

Verify the claim with other reputable sources. Look through the information for any grammatical and spelling errors. Professional articles have a clear style and are professionally edited. Is there structure to the website or article? Does it seem that the author has other reputable writing pieces?

Request

Is the website/source asking for the reader to buy certain products (such as supplements, natural remedies, and cures), donate, or provide payment to the website? Do not visit third-party websites requested by the source, and never give out personal information.

Evidence

Does the author verify their claim using reputable sources? Do they cite and mention where all the information was obtained? (Reliable sources may end with .edu or .gov and include hospital and other websites that are .org.)