Analysis and evaluation of good practices in the design of internet sites dedicated to electromagnetic fields and health

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply a dedicated checklist for the evaluation of good practice information in the design of Italian internet sites on electromagnetic fields (emf) and health.

Design/methodology/approach

The “Guidelines on the collection, evaluation and dissemination of good practice information on the Internet” by European Occupational Safety and Health Agency (EU‐OSHA) and the criteria of effective health communication, by the American National Institute of Health (NIH), have been reoriented to the issue “emf and health”. In total, 100 Italian internet sites, provided by the search engine GoogleItalia, have been analysed.

Findings

The results show how Italian official sources of information on “emf and health”, mainly affiliated to public institutions, apply good practice criteria in the design of internet sites, in terms of Identity card of the provider, quality of information, usability, interactivity and content of the sites.

Practical implications

In recent years, the internet has become a powerful tool for information, especially concerning health issues. Internet users need to find a trusted source providing accurate, balanced, evidence‐based, reliable, understandable information. This research provides practical criteria for selecting good practice information in the internet sites dedicated to “emf and health”.

Originality/value

The authors' effort in collecting and evaluating main criteria for an ergonomic design of internet sites dedicated to “emf and health”, confirms the need to implement usability of the internet sites and enhance the quality of information provided in the web in terms of “good practice”.

Citation

Giliberti, C., Bedini, A. and Salerno, S. (2012), "Analysis and evaluation of good practices in the design of internet sites dedicated to electromagnetic fields and health", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 1198-1211. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321641211227465