JCPSLP Vol 18 no 2 2016

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JCPSLP Volume 18, Number 2 2016 71
Breakdowns for these three variables can be seen in Tables
5 and 6. In terms of domain, P/T overviews were the
pages most likely to occupy non-commercial sites (51%).
Non-commercial sites represented 47% of the combined
information search results, with the remaining hosted on
commercial or non-specified sites. Finally, 47% of the total
information sites indicated recency (first posting/latest
update). OPN sites were again the most likely sites to
include this metadata (90%).
Chi-squared analyses of the three credibility indicators
showed a strong relationship between the presence of
citations in the work and statements of recency ( X 2 =
13.361, p < .001). A very weak association was noted
between domain type and recency ( X2 = 2.8, p = .096), with
commercial sites stating recency slightly more often than
non-commercial sites (54% versus 40%, respectively). This
may be due to the large number of blog posts within the
commercial category, as blog posting dates are typically
auto-generated. The type of domain (commercial vs. non-
commercial) had no predictive value for the presence of
citations (X2 = 0.126, p = .723).
Discussion
This research raises a number of issues concerning access
to, and dissemination of, on-line information for AAC
consumers and their support networks. These are
discussed below, with reference to similar research across
a range of health care domains.
Finding the “right” information
In general, relevance of results to AAC was highest when
the names of specific approaches and brands were
included in the search. It is unclear whether naïve searchers
will know to use these terms however, and a lack of
definitive terminology is a recognised barrier to searching
for health information on the web (Roche & Skinner, 2009).
We then examined the apparent credibility of websites
in each purpose category. Kunst and Khan (2002) define
credibility of on-line information as: “the power of inspiring
belief … credible websites should offer reasonable
grounds for being believed” (p. 44). Three common
credibility indicators were evaluated: the domain of the
website (commercial vs. non-commercial), the presence
of references, and the page’s currency. OPN sites
demonstrated the highest presence of references by far
(representing 80% of all websites with citations). These
articles, pitched at the general public, frequently concerned
ethical and legal issues in facilitated communication.
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
APR C G/R H N OPN PE P/T S Other
Generic product specific Diagnosis specific
Figure 1: Number of websites for each site purpose, across search categories.
Note: APR = academic publication or report; C = commercial; G/R = guidance or resources; H = information hub; N = networking; OPN = Opinion or
news sites; PE = personal experience; P/T = product or technique overviews; S = services.
Table 4. Primary purpose of websites, presented
by search category
Website purpose Generic
search
Technique
search
Diagnosis
search
Academic 0 (0%) 6 (6%) 2 (5%)
Commercial 24 (24%) 41 (41%) 3 (8%)
Guidance and resources 22 (22%) 4 (4%) 13 (35%)
Information hub 1 (1%) 2 (2%) 1 (3%)
Networking 0 (0%) 2 (2%) 0 (0%)
Opinions and news 0 (0%) 9 (9%) 0 (0%)
Personal experience 0 (0%) 3 (3%) 1 (3%)
Products/techniques
overview
47 (47%) 27 (27%) 17 (46%)
Service directory 6 (6%) 6 (6%) 0 (0%)
Other 0 (0%) 1 (1%) 0 (0%)