SECTION 2: STRATEGIES FOR LOCATING RELIABLE HIV/AIDS INFORMATION ON THE WEB

INDEPENDENT EXERCISES

This independent exercise will give you the opportunity to become familiar with MEDLINEplus, which contains information on hundreds of health-related topics.

Open a second browser window to MEDLINEplus by clicking HERE.
Answer the questions below as you begin using MEDLINEplus.

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1. From the MEDLINEplus home page, click on the DRUG INFORMATION menu option that appears on the left-hand "navigation bar". Using the alphabetical index, look up a drug name. Take a minute to read the description of the drug.
   • Was finding drug information easy?
     
   • Were you able to follow the menu options as you looked up a drug name?
     
   • Was the drug information provided in MEDLINEplus helpful?
     

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Next, try using the subject index of health topics to find information.

1. Click on the HEALTH TOPICS menu option that appears on the "navigation bar".
   You will see an A – Z alphabetic range. Think of a health topic of interest to you and click on the appropriate letter. Scroll through the alphabetical list of topics until you find your topic.

   If you need some ideas about topics that are available, try one or more of the following topics:
   African American Health
   AIDS
   Anxiety
   Asthma
   Back Pain
   Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
   Men's Health (General)
   Smoking Cessation
   Weight Loss/Dieting
   Women's Health (General)

2. Which topic(s) did you choose?
   

   Take a moment to browse through the menu options (on that left-hand side of the screen) that are available for the topic you selected.

   • Does the subject menu seem comprehensive and logical? Does it include the CATEGORIES that you think should be included? Does the subject menu help orient you the kind of information that is available for your topic?
     

   Now take a moment to browse through one of the links to Web resources or documents that is available for your topic.

   • What is the title or name of the document or link that you viewed?
     

   • What agency, organization, or group authored or produced this document or link?
     

3. Overall, were you satisfied with the links or documents to your topic that were included in MEDLINEplus? Did the links or documents contain the information that you wanted?
   

   Take a moment to browse through some of the other HEALTH TOPICS menu options or other options that are available on MEDLINEplus.

4. Overall, did you find the MEDLINEplus HEALTH TOPICS to be well organized? Easy to use?
   

5. What did you particularly LIKE about MEDLINEplus?
   

6. Is there anything in particular about MEDLINEplus that you did NOT like or that you found difficult to use?
   

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