How to Find Useful Internet Information

• The amount of information on the internet is overwhelming.
• In 2002, the World Wide Web contained about 170 terabytes of information on its surface (1 Terabyte of storage is equivalent to 50,000 trees made into paper and printed). In volume this is seventeen times the size of the Library of Congress print collections.
• It is estimated that there are over 1 trillion (1,000,000,000,000) videos on YouTube alone.

THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO SEARCH THROUGH ALL THE INFORMATION THAT EXISTS. Also, much of the internet information is biased opinion, misleading, not based on facts, or is absolutely wrong.

Our goal is to help you find accurate and useful information. Like you, we obviously also cannot review and keep up with all information sites. Hopefully we can steer you towards correct and current sources. If you find a site that is particularly helpful (either that you found with your own searching or that we directed you to) please let us know. We will review the site and possibly add or highlight an appropriate link to our resources pages. We are also open to suggestions on how our website can better serve you.

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. The inclusion of these links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. In addition, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over those other websites. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide while visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Finding information on the internet is not a substitute for good professional veterinary care, experience, and judgment. Our hospital does not accept any responsibility for the availability or usability of these sites. In addition, Compassionate Care Veterinary Hospital does not accept any liability for damage or injury resulting from the use of such contents, of whatever form.

As always, please remember that your veterinarian is the very best person to consult with questions regarding your animal's health, especially if your animal is ill! If your concern is urgent, please be sure to contact us immediately. Thank you!

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Download Free Players for online media streams that are available for all major computer platforms.

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And do not forget to have proven antivirus and anti-spyware software installed on your computer!

HINTS FOR SEARCHING FOR RELIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION¹

Tips to find additional and reliable animal health-related web resources:

1. Begin with one or more known, reliable sites and follow appropriate links on those pages.
2. Then use a general search engine (e.g. Google or others).
3. Be selective in entering terms and follow hints for effective use.

The most reliable and authoritative sites are generally from:

1. Academic institutions and universities
2. Government agencies
3. Professional organizations and associations

Choosing Websites Carefully!

The information on the Internet or World Wide Web is not necessarily accurate, correct, complete, or reliable. This issue is especially critical for both animal and human health information.

Always consider:

1. Site Ownership
   Who is the site's owner or producer? Do you recognize the name? Are they reputable?
2. Currency
   How often is the site updated or revised?
3. Audience
   Who are the primary users or target audience?
4. Perspective
   Is there a bias or unbalanced orientation? Is the goal to educate, sell products, or promote an opinion?
5. Content
   Is the content informative, timely, well balanced, documented (e.g., sources of information are given), and accurate?
6. Authorship of Content
   Are the authors' credentials known (e.g., DVM)?
7. Overall Quality
   Are there any obvious or known errors, faults, or inconsistencies?
8. Style
   Is the site user-friendly and attractive? Is it easy to follow? Is there a built-in "search" feature?
9. Organization
   Is the site well organized?
10. Stability
    Is it a reliable and established site?

¹Compiled by Susanne K. Whitaker, MSLS, AHIP, Veterinary Reference Librarian
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine