S826: Active ingredient in magic mushrooms reduces anxiety and depression in cancer patients: Introduction to Mental Health Science Assignment, OU, UK

Active ingredient in magic mushrooms reduces anxiety and depression in cancer patients

SLIDECAST TRANSCRIPT

SLIDE 1. Hello and welcome. This slidecast will give you some useful tips on evaluating information using the ‘PROMPT’ Criteria. ‘PROMPT’ is a framework for evaluation developed by the Open University. 

It’s a useful way to systematically assess the credibility and potential value of any information or resources that you come across online.

SLIDE 2. The mnemonic stands for six criteria. These are Provenance, Relevance, Objectivity, Method, Presentation and Timeliness. Let’s take a closer look at each of these criteria in turn.

SLIDE 3. The provenance of information, that is – who produced it and where it came from, may provide a useful clue to its reliability. 

It represents the ‘credentials’ that support its status and perceived value. 

It’s therefore very important to be able to identify the author, sponsoring body or source of your information. 

You can do this by searching online for more information. For example, you could find out where an individual works, and whether they’ve written any other material in the field. 

You should always treat anonymous information with caution.

Any individual can publish on the web or post to a discussion. 

Content, therefore, has to be judged on its own merit and with reference to the author’s credentials.

It’s also useful to consider the sponsoring organisation and method of publication.

SLIDE 4. You need to establish the author’s status and expertise. 

For example, ‘Are they acknowledged experts in the subject area?’ 

You could check how many papers they’ve published on the topic. 

Have they been frequently cited by other authors in the field? Are they respected and reliable sources? 

Are their views controversial?

You can ask questions about sponsoring organisations. 

What type of organisation is it? 

A commercial company, voluntary organisation, statutory body, research organisation and soon? 

How well-established is the organisation? 

Does the organisation have any vested interests in the subject area?