SPATing Websites
SPAT is a research tested mnemonic tool for evaluating the reliability of a website's content.
The mnemonic stands for Site, Publisher, Audience, Timeliness.
The SPAT criteria help judge reliability of electronic resources not specifically recommended by the course director or the RLML.
Site: What kind of site is it?
- Educational (.edu)
- Governmental (.gov)
- Commercial (.com)
- Organizational (.org)
Publisher: Who wrote this content and do they provide contact information? Look for an “About Us” section.
- Governmental Agency
- Association
- Company
- Individual
- If health professionals are involved in the creation of the content, that's good too.
Audience: Who is the site written for?
- Patients (good for background questions)
- Health Professionals
Timeliness: When was the last time it was updated? Is this information current?