A week or two ago I sent a request for information regarding the
evaluation of web sites and print resource material. I have since found
many excellent resources. Below is a synthesis of many of the responses
that I received in response to my enquiries. Thank you so much to those of
you who responded.
--
Susan Lilley
7 Canterbury Place
Dartmouth NS B2Y 4J5
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~LilleyS/Profile.html
EVALUATING PRINT RESOURCES
How to Evaluate Educational Reading Material
A comprehensive web site for evaluating health education material, created
by Sandra A. Smith, MPH, CHES http://www.prenataled.com/evaluate.htm
Checklist from Cardinal Stritch University Library
http://user1.stritch.edu/~csclib/printrsrc.html
Evaluation of Web and Print Resources
An evaluation checklist from the Minneapolis Community & Technical
College.
http://www.mctc.mnscu.edu/tutorial/ADAversion/lessons/evaluation.htm
How to Critically Analyze Information Sources
http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill26.htm
Resource Evaluation Worksheet. Janis W. Catano and Mary
J. Breen, 1995.
EVALUATING WEB SITES
http://servercc.oakton.edu/~wittman/find/eval.htm
How to find the most trustworthy web sites
http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/html/help/checklist1.html
What to look for in a health promoting web site
http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/html/help/checklist2.html
A new resource for web design and usability with information on testing
the usability of web sites. http://usability.gov/
EVALUATING ONLINE DOCUMENTS (EXAMPLES)
Health Canada evaluation of Canadian Handbook of Health Impact Assessment
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ehp/ehd/oeha/hia/index.htm#evaluation
This site asks for and publishes rapid response:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/318/7184/647
READABILITY AND LITERACY REFERENCES
Catano, J.W. 1996. Who Reads What you Write? Health Promotion Atlantic 2#1:14-15.
Doak, Cecilia C., Leonard G. Doak, and Jane H. Root.
Teaching Patients With Low Literacy Skills. 2d ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Co., 1996.
Available from: J. B. Lippincott Co.; phone (800) 777-2295; $27.95.
Written for health care providers and educators, this 212-page book
describes the extent and nature of people's struggle with reading in the
United States and how to convey health information despite the barrier of
limited literacy. A classic in the field, this book is also of value to
literacy educators. The book covers educational theories about how adults
learn; tips for teaching; how to test the literacy skills of patients; how
to assess the suitability of health education materials; how to write and
create visuals for easy-to-understand information; how to test and revise
materials once they are created; and how to teach using technology. A
copy of the REALM test is included.
Included here is the Doak's Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM)
instrument. SAM provides a detailed way to assess the content, literacy
demand, graphics, layout and typography, learning stimulation, and
cultural appropriateness of materials. SAM has been tested with 172 health
care providers from several cultures.
Keywords: Health education / Materials assessment / Materials development
/ Reading -- Ability testing
Ley P, Florio T. (1996) The Use of Readability Formulas in Health Care.
Psychology, Health and Medicine; 1(1):7-28. Reviews commonly used
formulas (Dale-Chall Formula, Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Formula,
Fog Index, Fry Readability Graph, SMOG Grading) and health-related
findings that have emerged from their use.
Davis TC, Long SW, Jackson RH, et al. (1993) Rapid Estimate of Adults
Literacy in Medicine: a shortened screening instrument. Fam
Med;25:391-395.
Jastak S, Wilkinson GS. (1993) Wide-Range Achievement Test. Rev. 3.
Wilmington, Del.: Jastak Associates. A tool for assessing reading level -
featured in NEJM.
Parker RM, Baker DW, Williams MV, Nurss JR. (1995) The test of functional
health literacy in adults (TOFHLA): a new instrument for measuring
patients' literacy skills. J Gen Intern Med, 10(10):537-41.
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