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Text reads: Research Tips for Health Bloggers, www. kate the almost great .com.
in Writing & Blogging · May 28, 2024

Research Tips for Health Bloggers

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in Writing & Blogging · May 28, 2024

Research Tips for Health Bloggers

Your reputation is the most valuable thing that bloggers have. That’s why I’m sharing my research tips for health bloggers for those looking to improve their skills. While many of these strategies apply to bloggers from other niches, they are especially important for health bloggers, as our work can help or hinder readers’ real lives.   

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great®!

Text reads: Research Tips for Health Bloggers, www. kate the almost great .com.

Research Tips for Health Bloggers

Again, our reputations are our most valuable assets, and our blogs impact readers’ real lives. While I include a disclaimer as often as possible – something like “I am not a medical professional of any kind. Please talk to your doctor.” – I can’t control people’s lives. I can’t guarantee that a reader will talk to a medical professional before making a change and I can’t guarantee that that change will cause positive benefits. That’s why I try to include as much up-to-date and accurate information as possible. 

But to do that, I need to research, I need to prove that what I’m saying is true, and I need to make it clear when I’m sharing my own opinion.  

11 Things You Need for a Good Health Blog

Contents hide
General Online Research Tips
When Do I Need a Source?
What Makes a Reputable Source?
Source Credibility Examples
Can I Use a Journal Article?
Citations Basics

General Online Research Tips

We’ve got to start at the beginning so we can get into the details! 

A simple Google search is a great way to start, but there are two key things you have to remember.

One – You need to strike a balance between being general enough to get the information you need and not being so general that you can’t find anything. 

Two – If you’re looking for an exact phrase, use quotation marks. 

I don’t suggest searching the fact as you remember it because then you might just find a source backing up what you want instead of the correct fact. Instead, search in question format. For example, search “how long does it take to get an endometriosis diagnosis” instead of “it takes 10 years to get an endometriosis diagnosis.” 

Sometimes I Google things like “rheumatoid arthritis definition” if I want a source for a thing I already know. I want an official definition that I can provide a credible source for and to back up what I’m saying. 

Which brings me to my next point: you need to have a standard way to display your sources. You’ll notice in my posts that I’m a fan of including (x) at the end of a sentence and linking the x. I’ll talk more about citations at the end of this post, but the important bit is that you should find a strategy that works for you and stick to it. You don’t want your readers to put in a lot of effort to find something.

Be a Pro at Blogging: Best Practices You Need

When Do I Need a Source?

There are a few situations in which you need sources.

If it’s a fact that could be up for debate, you need a source – Think about it this way: I don’t need a source for saying that Maine is a part of the United States, but I do need a source for saying that parts of Maine were originally a part of Canada. 

If it is crucial for your point, you need a source – A big reason why you should have sources is so if someone doubts something, they can easily look it up themself. So if someone comments on a post, “I agree with some of this but I don’t believe [insert fact here],” I can go, “Thanks so much! [insert fact here] is actually true, which you can see by looking at [source for fact], which is linked at the end of that sentence.” 

If you are quoting something or referring to something said by someone else, you need a source – This is a rule for everything and not just research. 

Look at this paragraph from my post What Is Endometriosis Like? An FAQ: 

There are a lot of ways to evaluate and rank endometriosis, but the most common is in stages, of which there are four (x). Johns Hopkins says, “The stages are based on where endometrial tissue occurs in the body, how far it has spread and how much tissue is in those areas” (x).

The first sentence has a source to back up the fact that four stages is the most common use of stages to describe endometriosis, and the second has a source to where that quote is from. Here’s another paragraph from the same post: 

According to the Mayo Clinic, other symptoms include painful sex, painful bowel movement or urination, long and heavy periods, nausea and/or vomiting, and infertility, which I’ll get into later (x).

Even though I don’t have a direct quote in that paragraph, I directly reference something said by the Mayo Clinic, so I have the source of where Mayo says that. 

17 Things Needed for Making a Blog Successful

Text reads: Why you need a reputable source for your health blog + reputable source examples, www. kate the almost great .com

What Makes a Reputable Source? 

Now that we’ve talked about when you need a source, let’s address the next important thing: what makes a source reputable?

After all, just because you see something that agrees with your opinion or point of view doesn’t mean it’s correct! And if you are only looking for sources that prove your opinion, you’re going to miss correct information and sources that could be more valuable. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself about a source:

  • Does this site have a reputation for honesty?
  • Does this site have a reputation for being on one side or another of politics?
  • Are there consequences if this site is wrong?
  • Do they link to sources of their information? It doesn’t have to be for the information you’re using, just in general.
  • Do they quote medical professionals?

What you’re trying to figure out with these questions is if they have a reason for sharing information that might not be accurate. If they do, then you shouldn’t use them. 

Blogging 101: Terms You Need To Know

Image reads: Chronic health blogger guide by Kate the (Almost) Great. Just $10.

Source Credibility Examples

Of course, let me share some examples of credible sources.

One example of a credible source is a medical study. Why? Because, to be published, that paper had to go through at least 2 peer reviews. That being said, don’t use a study that was published more than 10 years ago, as significantly more information could be found and research could be done in the meantime. 

Another example is a site for a foundation around a condition or that are from large health provider websites. This is because those sites are heavily based on their reputations. If Mayo Clinic wasn’t trusted any more, for example, they would lose their business. The same is true for something like the Arthritis Foundation, as if they couldn’t be trusted for information on arthritis, their entire premise could crumble. 

Another example, to a degree, is large organizations like the CDC, NHS, and NIH. The reason why I say to a degree is that they can be influenced by politics. For example, the head of the CDC is appointed by the president. But the reason why they can still be trusted is that they can’t share incorrect information. They can remove information, or make it difficult to find, but they can’t lie. (To a degree.)

Basically, you’re looking for places that have their integrity at the center of their existence. I mean, we would all be in trouble if the WHO started sharing incorrect information, right? 

I will say, though, that I try to avoid using individual practitioners’ websites as my sources because they don’t have the same potential issue if they’re lying or wrong that a larger organization does. 

52 Blog Post Ideas Health Bloggers Need

Text reads: How to research + cite for your blog, www. kate the almost great .com

Can I Use a Journal Article?

Yes, absolutely! 

The tricky thing about journal articles is that many of them require subscriptions to read entire articles. And you really do need to read an entire article in order to be confident that it is says what you think it says. 

That being said, in some situations, what is available in the abstract and/or the results section might be enough. 

Let’s say that I’m writing a blog post about fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that isn’t understood well, and I’m looking for an explanation of if it is or isn’t an autoimmune disease. For that reason, I want to cite a recent study or journal article. This article was available online in 2024, so it is recent enough to be helpful.

According to the abstract on PubMed, “the available data do not provide a clear understanding of the pathogenesis,” meaning that it is unclear what the origin of the illness is, which means that it is unclear if the immune system is the origin of the illness (x). I don’t need to read the full article to know that.

That being said, this particular article is available to read for free. This article discusses the views of two different scientists, one who believes it is an autoimmune disease and one who believes it isn’t. In this case, I should only use information that comes from the abstract, introduction, or conclusion, unless I am explaining the views of both sides of the argument.

How To Brainstorm Blog Post Ideas: 12 Questions To Ask Yourself

Tailwind makes my marketing for me

Citations Basics

So: how do you cite your sources? 

The most important thing is citing them at all. For a blog, you don’t have to do a ton: supply a link, make it obvious that it is a link, and make it obvious what part of the post it is supporting. 

As I mentioned, my preference is to do “(x)” at the end of the sentence and link the x. Additionally, my links are a green while my text is black. While green is not an idea color for people with red-green color blindness, it still shows up as a different color than black for people with that form of color blindness.

I mostly put my citations at the end of the sentence and not the end of the post because I want it to be clear what part of the post it is supporting. These posts can get up to 5,000 words, and in general, my policy is to make things easy enough that a reader doesn’t have to go searching for things. This applies to social media links to sources to popular posts and more. 

One example of my citations is: “Rheumatologists are doctors who ‘who received further training in the diagnosis (detection), and treatment of diseases that affect the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons’ (x).”

Learn how my ebook for chronic health bloggers can help you here.

If I have a sentence that requires 2 references, I’ll either link the words for each thing or I’ll do “(x, x)”. I only do that, though, if it’s pretty obvious which x belongs to which fact. 

I’ll also often name my source. Here are a few examples of how I do that:

  • “What is especially interesting is that a 2016 study found that seronegative RA patients might in fact have higher inflammation levels than seropositive (x).”
  • “The Mayo Clinic says, ‘Reactive arthritis develops in reaction to an infection in your body, often in your intestines, genitals or urinary tract’ (x).”
  • “The Arthritis Foundation has a really, really good list of various forms of arthritis, and you can learn more about them on their website.”

The are two reasons why I specifically name my sources. One is that it shows readers that I’m trustworthy because I’m using official things like studies. But another is that, in many cases, I want to specifically name where I’m getting a quotation from. There are some cases where the sentence flows better without naming the source, but in many sentences, it flows better when I name the source.

Finally, as you can see, I always make it clear when I am directly quoting other people. The primary reason for that is, well, I’m not going to plagiarize. The Mayo Clinic has significantly more lawyers than I do and I’m not dealing with that. But, also, it’s against my values to try and pass off someone else’s words as mine. 

How To Improve Your Blogging Skills: 8 Skills You Need

Take your blog (and your income!) to the next level with this bundle of resources designed for health bloggers - specifically, those who blog about chronic conditions.

I’m well aware that this might be overwhelming for many people, especially if it has been a while since you wrote something requiring research and sources. But trust me when I say that researching for blog posts and citing your sources gets easier with practice. And the best thing is that you don’t need to cite your sources for a blog like you do for a school paper; just make it clear where you get your facts from.

Like this post? Share it! Then check out: 

Authentic Mental Health Blog Post Ideas That People Actually Want, Writing about Health on Social Media Like a Pro, Essential Social Media Tips for Bloggers, What I Would Do If I Started a Blog Today 

Kate Mitchell

Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.

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Comments

  1. Kevin Foodie says

    June 3, 2024 at 7:29 am

    Health blogs take more time to write because of the research for credible sources. Even though my blog site is travel and food based, I try to incorporate health and nutrition education. Referencing credible sources can be a bit tedious at times. But it’s important to give credit where credit is due. The same is true for bloggers who copy recipe ideas from other bloggers and do not give credit. You are right, many journal articles require a subscription. But if you are in college or is affiliated with the college you attended, you may have free access to publications from the convenience of your home or a Librarian can help you at the college. Awesome blog post. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Dahlia A says

    June 3, 2024 at 7:35 am

    Thanks Kate for this article. It is a great resource not only for health bloggers but for bloggers in general quoting sources or doing research.

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On the one hand, you should always believe what pe On the one hand, you should always believe what people tell you about their bodies.⁣
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On the other hand, I’ve had so much ridiculous and unconnected health things happen that I do understand why people might not believe me.⁣
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If I met my newly diagnosed self for coffee ... ⁣
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I tell her how things would get worse before they got better. ⁣
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I'd tell her to stop eating gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and eggs immediately (although that would have been a lot harder in 2010, more than it even is now). ⁣
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I'd tell her that she still needs to keep advocating for herself. ⁣
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I'd tell her that having a diagnosis unfortunately doesn't mean everything automatically falls into place. ⁣
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I'd tell her that she'll develop many more illnesses but her quality of life will actually get significantly better. ⁣
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I'd tell her that she would eventually have to get her right foot fixed, although she does expect that.⁣
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I'd tell her that using a cane is not a sign of failure, but a tool to make life better.⁣
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The thing that surprised me the most about autoimm The thing that surprised me the most about autoimmune arthritis is how systemic it is. ⁣
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Like with most things, it's one thing to know the fact and it's something else to experience it. ⁣
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Yes, my joints are affected (a lot). ⁣
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But I've had enough serious infections thats I have to see an immunologist because we need to be aware of my antibodies and I sometimes need help recovering from illnesses. ⁣
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And, yes, I see pulmonology because of my asthma, but we also have to keep an eye out on developing rheumatoid nodules in my lungs. (So far so good!)⁣
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Not to mention that, when I developed POTS, the hospital admitted me to run every heart test to make sure that, at 26, I wasn't experiencing heart failure. ⁣
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Plus, when I developed endometriosis, I also went through a number of GI tests because one theory was that I had ulcerative colitis. ⁣
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Anyway, RA is so much more than "just" joints. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have to kill my immune system every 3 months like I am in this picture.⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 7+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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ID: Kate takes a selfie in an infusion chair. She is a brunette white woman wearing a Boston Red Sox shirt, blue mask, and round tortoiseshell glasses.⁣⁣
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#AlmostGreatHealth #RheumatoidArthritis #RheumatoidDisease #Rheum #Autoimmune #AutoimmuneDisease #InvisibleIllness #ButYouDontLookSick #Sjogrens #SjogrensSyndrome #POTS #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #Dysautonomia
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