Research Websites

Here are some great websites to start your research…

General Questions, Research, Free Online Reference Materials:

Internet Public Library: http://www.ipl.org/
Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/
Reference Directory: http://www.refseek.com/directory
Ask.com: http://www.ask.com
E-Books (free): https://openlibrary.org/
U.S. Legislative Information: http://beta.congress.gov/

Health & Medicine:

Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.org
WebMD: www.webmd.com
Healthfinder: www.healthfinder.gov
National Institutes of Health: www.nih.gov

Medical Assisting / Medical Billing & Coding:

American Association of Medical Assistants: http://www.aama-ntl.org/
American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC): http://www.aapc.com/
BC Advantage: www.billing-coding.com
National Center for Competency Testing (Certification): http://www.ncctinc.com/
Always remember to evaluate the websites you gather research from to determine if the site is credible. Here are questions to ask yourself?:

  • Is there an author? Is the author credible? Is the author an expert in the subject?

 

  • Remember – Everyone can publish information on the Internet. It can be difficult to determine if the information is accurate. If in doubt, do NOT use it for your school assignments.

 

  • Is the information given unbiased? Is the page designed to persuade, give an opinion, or inform?
    Is the page free from advertisements?

 

  • Remember – there are no web site standards to check for the accuracy of web pages. Unlike print sources, there are rarely editors or fact-checkers.

 

  • Is the information credible? Is spelling and grammar accurate?
    Is the page easy to navigate? Does it have a “search” option?

 

  • Remember – Everyone can publish information on the Internet. It can be difficult to determine if the information is accurate. If in doubt, do NOT use it for your school assignments.

 

  • Is the page dated? When was the information last updated?
    How current are the links? Have some expired or been moved?

 

  • Remember – sometimes web pages are not current, and therefore, they may provide inaccurate information. Be sure to check the dates to make sure your web site contains up-to-date information.