Much information concerning alternative medicine is readily available on the internet for anyone who may be interested, however, the question remains whether or not this abundance of information is reliable and accurate or pure quackery. The websites being evaluated in this article are http://altmed.od.nig.gov and www.alternativemedicine.com. The differences between these two websites are a perfect illustration that one must be cautious and critical of all information obtained via the internet.

The National Institute of Health's website, http://altmed.od.nig.gov, is a good example of a reliable and well-informed source of knowledge. The website clearly denotes contact and sponsorship information on their homepage. It is extremely clear where one would call, email or write if there were questions, problems or concerns. Moreover, it clearly states that one should not use the information obtained by this website to seek therapy or tr

Both of these websites are useful in understanding and realizing the fact that just because information is on the internet does not make it true. The NCCAM is a proven example of a resource that one could use to augment their knowledge on a variety of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It contains research data, facts and reliable information. In contrast, www.alternativemedicine.com is a prime example of what internet users should be wary of, a site that contains little or no factual information and was definitely NOT "The Voice of Health." The internet is definitely a great source of information and learning but, as evidenced, one should always evaluate and be critical of what one reads and sees.

The entire website is detail oriented, factual and well documented. It is up-to-date as the website says that it was "last modified 8/24/01." The NCCAM website was also extremely user friendly (good graphics, well divided subject headings) and easy to maneuver. Overall, this webs

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Approximate Word count = 668
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