Quality control

The day-to-day maintenance (including currency, accuracy, content inclusion and quality control) of the PHC RIS website is done by the information and Website Coordinator, with help from the Information Systems Manager and Web Programmers. However, PHC RIS also have a Web Development Team, who meet to oversee and discuss major changes, projects and activities related to the PHC RIS website.

The PHC RIS website adheres to many web standards and protocols, including the Guidelines for Commonwealth Information Published in Electronic Formats. The PHC RIS website is also endorsed by Health On Net (HON), which means the PHC RIS website meets the Eight Principles of the HON Code of Conduct (HON 2003) and reviewed regularly. The PHC RIS website displays the HON symbol and more information about the PHC RIS endorsement can be found at http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html?HONConduct564514

The PHC RIS website also adheres to a series of internal publishing protocols, including standardised formatting, design and linking, much of which is controlled through cascading style sheets. This ensures consistency in design and layout throughout the website.

The content included on the PHC RIS website, including links to external organisations, has been evaluated by PHC RIS staff under the leadership of Prof Ellen McIntyre OAM, PhD, MSc, IBCLC and according to the main criteria of: accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency and coverage. PHC RIS also seeks opinions and feedback about content from key stakeholders within relevant targetted fields.

Some resources used to develop our criteria are:

• Evaluation of Information Sources (last accessed 13 February 2012)
• MEDLINEplus Guide to Health Web Surfing (last accessed 13 February 2012)
• MEDLINEplus Evaluating Health Information (last accessed 13 February 2012)
• Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine (last accessed 13 February 2012)
• Lehigh University Library (2002). Criteria for Evaluating Web Resources in Research Guide to Library and Online Resources (last accessed 13 February 2012)
• Kim P, Eng T, Deering MJ, Maxfield A. (1999). Published Criteria For Evaluating Health Related Web Sites: Review (last accessed 13 February 2012)
• Smith, Alastair G. (1997) Testing the Surf: Criteria for Evaluating Internet Information Resources. The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 8, no. 3

All links contained in the PHC RIS website are also periodically checked to ensure accuracy.

The PHC RIS website does not host or receive funding from any form of advertisement.