Guides: NSM 202: The Scientific Enterprise: Web Resources

The SIFT Method is a tool for evaluating information in 60 seconds. It focuses on searching other sources to verify the creator's authority and the creator's claims.

Stop what you're reading and watching and ask yourself:
1. Do I know this site or source?
2. What is my goal in watching or reading this information? Do I want to verify the claim they're making?
3. Do I want to share this video?
Investigate the source. Run a quick search on the publisher, author, or creator.
1. Do they have expertise or experience in the subject?
2. Do they have an agenda? (for example, are they trying to sell you something? Is their primary purpose to get you to vote a certain way?)
Find better coverage. If you want to investigate the claim they are making, search the claim and scan multiple sources.
Trace back to the original.
1. If you're unsure if an image has been photoshopped, run a reverse image search.
2. Did the source quote a respected source? Find the original quote to see if it was misquoted or taken out of context.

The SIFT Method by Mike Caulfield is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

GENERAL

National Institute of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives.
National Library of Medicine
The world’s largest biomedical library, NLM maintains and makes available a vast print collection and produces electronic information resources on a wide range of topics.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
Science.gov
Gateway to reliable information about science and technology from across federal government organizations, including technical reports, journal citations, databases, federal Web sites and fact sheets.
WorldWideScience.org
A global science gateway for federated searching of national and international scientific databases and portals.

CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Protection Agency
The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. Their site provides information on programs, publications, databases, laws and regulations.
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

GENE THERAPY

American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy
The ASGCT's mission is to advance knowledge, awareness, and education leading to the discovery and clinical application of gene and cell therapies to alleviate human disease.

GENOMICS

National Center for Biotechnology Information
The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.
National Human Genome Research Institute
NHGRI's mission has expanded to encompass a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease.

VACCINES & IMMUNIZATION

Center for Disease Control & Prevention
The leading national public health institute of the United States. It provides information about infectious diseases, food borne pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, and injury prevention primarily for the health and protection of the U.S., but it contains a lot of high-level information about diseases.
History of Vaccines
The History of Vaccines is an informational, educational website created by The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, one of the oldest medical societies in the United States. This site aims to increase public knowledge and understanding of the ways in which vaccines, toxoids, and passive immunization work, how they have been developed, and the role they have played in the improvement of human health.
Immunization Action Coalition
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) works to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public that enhance the delivery of safe and effective immunization services.
National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Disease
NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.
Vaccines.gov
Vaccines.gov is the federal gateway to information on vaccines and immunization for infants, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Vaccines.gov provides resources from federal agencies for the general public and their communities about vaccines across the lifespan.