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Question 1: Are the aims clear?

What the question is about and why it is important

A good quality publication will have clear aims. A publication should commence with an overview indicating what it is about, what it covers and who it is meant to be for. Clear aims at the beginning of a publication are important because they indicate what aspects of the condition and its treatment will be addressed and help you to judge whether the publication is likely to contain the information you want. It is particularly important to know what may not be included, as you may need additional information before you can make an informed decision about treatment.

Rating the question

Examine the opening paragraphs or home page for a description of the content, scope and target audience of the publication. Although the publication’s title or URL/address may be descriptive, the aims should be clearly outlined in the text at the beginning if the publication is to get a good rating.

Guidelines for rating the question:

    • 5: Yes - the publication has clear aims.
    • 2 - 4: Partially - the publication has aims but they are unclear or incomplete.
    • 1: No - the publication does not include any indication of its aims.

Examples

5 rating

"This booklet has been written to help you understand more about Jones' disease. We hope it answers some of the questions you may have about its diagnosis and treatment. It may also be useful for partners, friends, families and carers and to everyone who is concerned about how Jones' disease affects people and what can be done about it. Occasionally, Jones' disease can affect children. This booklet includes some brief reference to treatment for children but a fuller discussion is outlined in our leaflet entitled "Jones' disease in children"

'Treatments for this condition include dietary advice, drug therapy and surgery.This leaflet has been written for those patients who are considering or have been recommended surgery. It will outline why surgery may have been recommended, what it involves and how it may help you.'

2 - 4 Partially rating
'This booklet is about some of the treatments for depression.' (No other indication of the aims or contents is provided).
1 rating:
A publication is entitled "Treatments for epilepsy" but there are no other indications of what the publication is about or who it is written for. The opening paragraph consists of a brief description of the condition and its diagnosis and each subsequent paragraph describes a drug treatment.
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