Psychology Research Guide: Web Sites
A guide to resources for psychology
Recommended websites
Credible mental health websites
- MedlinePlus Health InformationUp-to-date health care information from the National Library of Medicine.
- Mental Health Americaformerly known as the National Mental Health Association
- Psych CentralIndependent mental health online resource.
Statistics
- National Institute of Mental Health statisticsCurrent statistics on the prevalence and treatment of mental illnesses among the U.S. population.
- National Center for Health StatisticsCurrent statistics about health in the U.S.
Professional organizations
Professional Organizations
Evaluating websites
Can't I just use Google?
We aren't going to tell you not to ever use Google -- we use it to answer questions all the time! Just remember that not everything you find will be reliable, unbiased, up-to-date information.
If your professor allows you to use websites for your research paper/project, make sure you critically evaluate them first.
How do I evaluate something on the internet?
Ask yourself some questions about what you're reading:
- Who? Who owns the site—e.g., a company, a government agency, a university, an individual blogger? Who writes articles on the website, and what else do they write about?
- What? What does the site tell you about your topic? Does it back up claims with citations or links to other reliable websites?
- When? When was the site published/last updated? You should not find any broken links.
- Why? Why was the site created—e.g., to inform, to entertain, to sell something? Does the site contain an "About Us" section or mission statement?