Websites, evaluating

In a tiny fraction of cases, a quick formula can be used. For most cases, the analysis uses an options tree, with one leaf per possible outcome. However, this falls prey to the curse of dimensionality —the number of leaves on the tree grows exponentially in the number of risk and decision dimensions considered. Thus only a limited, simple set of situations can be optimized in this way because one has to severely limit the decisions and risks that are considered. Tools available to help automate and simplify options analysis, widely used in pharmaceutical project evaluation, include Excel addons such as R1SK [11] and more graphically based solutions such as DPL [12]. Both of these support the creation and evaluation of decision trees and of influence diagrams Figure 11.2 shows a simple example of each of these. A primer in applied decision theory is Clemen s book Making Hard Decisions, other sources may be found in the website of James Vornov, Director of Clinical Research at Guildford Pharmaceuticals, a recent convert to decision theory for options analysis [13]. 

Accountability and transparency have several aspects reporting to and control by supervisory bodies clarity and openness of procedures criteria for decision-making and decisions made and existence of systems for complaint and appeal. Accountability and transparency can be evaluated by examining, in particular reporting requirements, external reviews of the authority s performance frequency of publications and content of website (and other means of communication between the DRA, the public and the regulated parties) bodies to which complaints are directed and appeals procedures. However, the individual details of these elements of regulation make quantitative comparison difficult. 

ConsumerLab.com is an independent testing company that evaluates whether certain dietary supplements have met their standardization claims. Dietary supplements that have been tested include herbs (ginkgo, saw palmetto, ginseng), vitamins (vitamin C), and others (glucosamine, chondroitin, SAMe). Products that meet the German testing standards are published at the ConsumerLab.com website [33]. 

In any case, injection site responses (erythemia, edema, pain, and tenderness) and systemic responses are both evaluated in subjects (Mathieu, 1997). USFDA also has specific guidance on the tracking and reporting of adverse clinical responses to vaccines. Any adverse events or product problems with vaccines should not be sent to MedWatch but to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERA), operated jointly by FDA and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For a copy of the VAERS form, call 1-800-822-7967, or download the form (in PDF format) from www.fda.gov/cber/vaers/vaersl.pdf on FDA s Website. 

European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products website, http //www.emea. eu.int/. 

Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologies Evaluation and Research website, http //www.fda.gov/cber/. 

Where do relevant facts and figures come from If you are consulting print material, there should be footnotes and a bibliography that show the author s sources. On the Internet, you may also find such documentation, or sources may be documented by using links to other websites (see the following section on evaluating a website based on links). Even documentaries, to use a previous example, should cite sources in their credits. 

This book is written in a straightforward easy-to-use style that is not exclusively technical. It has an in-depth examination of the Internet research process, and helps readers by offering different search techniques. Most importantly, it discusses how to evaluate and compare diverse web sources. It also offers online companion websites that complement its chapters. 

BSfCHEM. 2007b. IPCS BSfCHEM International Agency for Research on Cancer (lARC)—Summaries evaluations website. http /www.inchem.org/pages/iarc.html BSfCHEM. 2007c. IPCS BSfCHEM JECFA—Monographs evaluations website, http //www.inchem.org/ pages/jecfa.html... 

BSfCHEM. 2007d. IPCS BSfCHEM JMPR—Monographs evaluations website. http /www.inchem. org/pages/j mpr.html... 

Lucas, R. M. and McMichael, A. J. 2005. Association or causation evaluating hnks between environment and disease. Bull. WHO 83 792-795. http //www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/83/10/792.pdf NCT. 2007. The National Center for Toxicogenomics (NCT) website. http /www.niehs.nih.gov/nct/office.htm OECD. 2002. 3.3 Guidance for the use of structure-activity relationships (SARs) in the HPV chemicals programme. In Manual for Investigation of HPV Chemicals. Paris OECD. http /www.oecd. org/dataoecd/60/24/1947517.pdf... 

OECD. 2007a. OECD website. OECD activities to explore and evaluate regulatory application of genomic methods toxicogenomics. http //www.oecd.org/document/29/0,3343,en 2649 34365 34704669 l l l l,00.html... 

In April 2000 some sections of the guidelines were revised. An interim document to accompany the guidelines with two new appendices came into effect in June 2000 and introduced changes relating to the selection of randomised trial evidence from the literature and other searches, and the presentation of modelled economic evaluations. It is available from the PBS website. 

Complementary medicines are most frequently listed rather than registered, but this depends on the ingredients and claims made. The document Guidelines for Levels and Kinds of Evidence to Support Indications and Claims was developed to assist sponsors in determining the appropriate evidence to support indications and claims made in relation to complementary medicines, sunscreens and other listable medicines, and is available from the TGA website. The Complementary Medicines Evaluation Committee (CMEC) provides scientific and policy advice relating to controls on the supply and use of complementary medicines, with particular reference to the quality and safety of products and, where appropriate, efficacy relating to the claims made. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a website where physical and chemical test methods for evaluating solid wastes may be downloaded as pdf files ... 

Within this context three Technical Notes for Guidance (TNGs) were commissioned for preparation by May 14th 2000. Only one document is currently available, the Guidance on Data Requirements for Active Substances and Biocidal Products . This was finalised in December 1999 and is available on the ECB website. The two other TNGs (namely, the Criteria for Annex 1 Entry and the Common Principles for the Evaluation of Dossiers) appeared as draft documents in 1998. Revised versions of these documents have since been made available for comment. No indication has been given by the Commission when final versions of the documents will be published. 

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